Lone Wolf and Kit
by JAYSEN
Summary: Experimental title. Much of Minato Namikaze's past is shrouded in mystery, but what if he wasn't from the Elemental Nations in the first place and one of his lost brothers came looking for him and found...Naruto? Can he handle a kid? Cameos abound!
1. Chapter 1

_ Hey there...I know you guys haven't heard from me in a while, but I've been busy with life. I am returning to school as of Jan. 9th, so my time will still be limited, but I will NOT abandon my fics unless something dire occurs. Even then, I will give a notice and will be open to adoption. Now...Please enjoy my newest brainchild..._

_**LONE WOLF AND KIT...**_

_**KONOHA MAIN GATES**_

A tall man walked toward the village of Konoha, drawn there by the recently gained knowledge of another member of his lost and scattered family, having been with his younger brother for a long time. The man was, as I said, tall and muscular, but the muscle was lean and proportionate. He was in his mid-twenties with long blond hair pulled back into a skinny tail and crystal blue eyes. Further more, his wardrobe was more than a little strange considering where he was, consisting of a well worn pair of blue jeans, a red sleevless jacket with a white star on the back, a white tank top underneath and a red and white pair of hightopped sneakers, the whole ensemble topped off by a matching baseball cap with a metal plate on it and fingerless gloves, carrying a rucksack over his shoulder.

He kept up his steady pace until he reached the main gates of the village. It vaguely reminded him of the temple gates back where his younger brother Andy's fiancee, Mai Shiranui, was from. It was that same woman who provided him with the knowledge of this hidden continent, her clan hailing from this very village. His brother and a few close friends wished to go with him, but they were busy themselves however, they helped to provide him with ways make the long voyage. It took him nearly two months to find the village, one month of sea travel and another of wandering around, since details on its location were very vauge at best. That much was understandable since Mai's grandfather hadn't been there since he was a teenager, nearly 50 years ago.

"Halt. What business do you have here in Konoha?" The gate guard inquired of him. He lifted his head to reveal his face, making the guards back away slightly and mutter something.

_"Yodaime-sama?"_ One of them whispered. Terry sighed and spoke up.

"Listen...I'm looking for some lost family and I was told that he could be found here. Who would know about someone named Minato Namikaze?" Terry asked the guard, who was stunned at the name he mentioned. He looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"You...Hokage-sama must know about you..." The lead guard said as he ordered his subordinate to inform their leader immeadiately. He then turned to Terry with a hostile look on his face.

"You will remain here until Hokage-sama arrives. We will then see what kind of ploy this is." He growled as he nudged Terry off to the side. Terry didn't want to start trouble, so he complied. After waiting there for a few moment his thoughts wandered off in various directions, namely to a certain predicament that involved waiting for someone of authority while sitting down.

_'Man...just like High School...'_ He grimaced. He then heard a commotion a couple dozen yards away from himself and craned his neck to have a look. What he saw disgusted him to the bone.

"We caught that little freak!" One man bellowed, sneered down at a small blond boy, who looked no older than five years old. He had just beaten the boy over the head with something, knocking him out.

"Now, we can finally end that demon's existance." A second man snarled, his words dripping with malice as he raised a large butcher knife over head to kill the child.

Terry had seen enough and with speeds that even a ninja would have trouble following, he disarmed the man and snapped his wrist, placing himself between the boy at the small mob which was quickly growing. He soon noticed that some of the ninja were joining in on the madness, but a couple came to his aid. One was a tall, lanky ninja with gravity defying grey hair and his headband slid over one eye while the other was chewing on a senbon, his headband on backwards like a do rag. The last was a female dressed in a mesh bodysuit with a tan trenchcoat. All of them were able to intimidate the crowd into thinking twice about what they were about to do, but an enormous presense made itself known to them. Even Terry, who had fought and defeated the likes of Wolfgang Krauser and Geese Howard, had to admit that this new person was a force to be reckoned with. The crowd parted to reveal an old man wearing a conical hat with the kanji for Fire and tan colored robes walking toward them.

The old man glared at the mob with distaste as he addressed them.

"Why have you done this? And to an innocent child at that?" He demanded to know.

"But...Lord Hokage...We simply wished to protect our families from that...Demon." A random man tried to stammered out until he was struck dead, a ninja kunai impaled in his forehead. Terry looked to see where that came from to barely catch the old man's hand returning within the fold of his robes.

_'Whoa...He's really dangerous. I bet Geese and Krauser would both have a hard time with this geezer.'_ Terry mused as the old man regarded them.

"Once again, thank you Kakashi-kun, Genma-kun and Anko-chan. You three seem to be some of the only sane shinobi were have here." He thanked the three shinobi, who saluted their leader as he turned to the stranger who came to the boy's aid.

"I don't believe that I've even seen you befo..." Sarutobi began to say until he saw the man's face. He was nearly identical to Minato!

"Dear Kami..." The old man muttered, trying to calm down.

"Hokage-sama? Are you alright?" Kakashi asked.

"We must get to my office. I have some questions for this man. Kakashi, Anko...Take Naruto-kun to the Hospital and stand watch over him. Make sure Rin is his physician. Genma, gather as many of these...People as you can and get them to Ibiki for questioning. Young man...Come here, please." He ordered as Kakashi and Anko picked up the boy and seemingly teleported away with Genma doing the same, making Terry gape.

"What the hell..." He muttered until the old man held his shoulder and everything seemed to shift around him.

_**HOKAGE'S OFFICE**_

It felt like falling and flying at the same time. When they stopped, they seemed to be in an office, the old man already moving behind his desk and sitting down.

"Now, young man...I am Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage. Before we can get on to any other topics you may want to discuss, I want to thank you for what you did." Sarutobi thanked him.

"For what? Standing up for the kid? It's nothing. I was an orphan, myself. My brother Andy and me." Terry shrugged as Sarutobi got back to business.

"Can you tell me what business brings you here to my village?" He asked in a calm voice. Terry had no reason to hide anything, not that he thought he'd be able to, anyway.

"Well...When my brother and myself were really young, we had an elder brother that took care of us in an orphanage. He disappeared one day and my brother Andy and I were adopted pretty soon after that. We have been trying to find him for a long time and now, we managed to track him down to this village and the name he was given here, Minato Namikaze." Terry related to the Hokage, who seemed to be filing through this newfound knowledge and coming up with questions of his own.

The two went back and forth, doing an impromptu Q & A session for the next 15 minutes, during which Terry was filled in on the life of his long lost sibling and the burden his nephew bore. Terry even provided an old photograph that was taken around the time he himself was only 5, Andy 4 and Minato 8. Sarutobi had to admit that the boy in the photo bore a startling resemblance to the Minato he knew. Minato Namikaze was found washed ashore in Wave Country when he was a small boy by a Konoha shinobi. That man was Shuzen Namikaze, who brought him home to be raised as his son with his wife, Maki Namikaze. The two made him into their son officially and after a few months, he asked to be enrolled in the Konoha Ninja Academy. Regrettably, they died soon afterwards. Right there, started the legend of the Yondaime, how he met his future wife, Kushina Uzumaki, was trained by the famous Jiraiya of the Sannin and so forth. No one really knew how he came to be washed ashore nor where he came from. Now, this young man, a few years younger than Minato and looked just like him, was filling in more of the missing gaps of their savior's past. He could tell that this young man was telling the truth and was indeed the blood relative of Minato, young Naruto's real uncle and he could care for the poor child. They discussed this at great length.

"But...Wha...I don't know anything about raising a kid!" He stammered. He had been told that the boy he rescued from the mob was indeed his nephew, Naruto. He'd also been told about what the boy had sealed within in and how his elder brother's dying wish had been ignored and he was understandibly upset by it. He was offered the opportunity to take the boy in and leave the Elemental Nations.

"I understand, young man...But you mentioned that you have a younger brother and he has a fiancee? What was her name again?" He inquired.

"Oh...Uh, Mai. Mai Shiranui." Terry answered.

"Shiranui? She wouldn't be the granddaughter of Hanzou Shiranui?" He asked. Now Terry wasn't really sure if he should answer that, thinking that he may have gotten his good friend in trouble. He'd heard of laws governing ninja that if they run away from their village, they would be hunted down and silenced to maintain secrecy. Sarutobi read his expression like a book and sought to put his fears to rest.

"Do not worry. I will keep the existance about the extended Shiranui a secret, since they can help train Naruto-kun as a ninja should you take him." Sarutobi told him.

"I can't imagine that they'd just let me walk out of here with him if he has that fox thingy in him. From what you told me, those old farts of that council would probably do everything they can to keep him from leaving." Terry replied.

"Yes...I know. But if we can get a blood sample from you, we can prove blood relation and in the eyes of the law and by the Fire Daimyo, you would have every right to claim him." Sarutobi assured. Terry thought it all out while they headed to the Hospital to both check on Naruto and to draw the blood at the lab.

_**KONOHA GENERAL HOSPITAL**_

The pair arrived at the hospital and requested Naruto's room. The duty nurse sneered at them, but their combined glare was enough to end any protest. They made their way up to the recovery ward, where Naruto practically had his own room due to hom many times he'd gotten hurt. Upon arriving at the door, Kakashi and Anko asked them to halt, lifting up the edge of his headband to reveal a wierd crimson eye, with which he seemed to be scanning them.

"Anko, they check out. Let them through." Kakashi said as he and the young woman stepped aside to let them into the room.

"What was that?" Terry asked.

"Kakashi has a special eye, you see..." Sarutobi went on to explain the Kekkei Genkai of their lands, which explained alot of what Terry saw in the village. Just as the explaination died down, Naruto woke up.

"Hey, jiji..." Naruto yawned.

"Are you okay, Naruto-kun?" Sarutobi asked.

"Yeah...I'm okay." He replied non-chalantly with a shrug, but noticed the new person in the room...Who seemed to look like him a bit.

"Hey old man...Who's this?" Naruto asked.

"Well, Naruto-kun...I'll let him tell you." Sarutobi said as Terry walked up nerviously. What could he possibly say to the child of his lost brother?

"Well, um...My name is Terry Bogard and I came from across the ocean to find my my lost elder brother, but found you instead." Terry told the boy.

"Whaddya mean by that, mister?" The boy with impossibly wide eyes asked.

"Your dad was my brother." Terry answered the boy's question.

"Whoa...So you're my uncle? Awesome! I really DO have family!" Naruto cheered, hopping out of bed and doing a sort of happy dance in the middle of the room, drawing a chuckle from his new uncle Terry as a new person entered the room. She was younger than Terry by a few years, had brown hair and eyes with strange strips on her cheeks, and wore a doctor's coat...And...

_'Whoa...She's kinda cute...'_ Terry mused.

"So what's this I heard, Naru-chan?" She asked playfully as his eyes lit up upon seeing her.

"Rin-neechan! This guy here was my dad's younger brother!" Naruto cheered. Rin looked stunned with disbelief.

"Sensei...Had a brother?" She murmured as Sarutobi clarified it for her.

"That is the other reason why we are here. We want to do a blood test of this young man against Minato's to have concrete proof of a blood relation." Sarutobi informed her as she got ready to draw a blood sample. While she got ready and went though with the blood draw, she had some thoughts of her own.

_'I didn't know Minato-sensei had any family...If this guys is telling the truth and the blood checks out, he can claim Naru-chan and he can finally have a real family. But...What if he takes Naru-chan away from here? I don't want him to leave...'_ Rin thought sadly. She was very fond of the blond ball of energy.

"The results will be ready in a few minutes." She told them as she left for the lab to process the samples.

"So kiddo...What's your favorite thing to eat?" Terry asked, trying to get to know his new nephew.

"RAMEN!" The boy cheered, startling Terry slightly. The boy then went into an excited ramble about his favorite flavors and about ramen in general for a full two minutes without stopping for breath. He finally got the chance to relay his favorites to the boy.

"Well...I like lots of stuff, mainly pizza and club sandwiches." Terry answered.

"What's pizza?" Naruto asked, making Terry grin.

"I'll have to show you all about pizza, like the deep dish, New York style, Stuffed Crust...heh heh..." Terry said, nearly drooling at the thought of a good, thick slice of pepperoni pizza once he returned to Southtown. He stopped drooling as he asked yet another question.

"What sport do you like?" He asked.

"I always liked Basketball..." Naruto said thoughtfully, making Terry grin even more.

"Really? That's my favorite, too. We gotta play sometime." Terry told the boy.

Sarutobi could already see that they had a correlation with each other over food and sports, along with somewhat similar personalities. The two even shared a meal, a bowl of steaming beef ramen apiece.

_'I can see some of Minato in this young man already...'_ Sarutobi mused as Rin came back in with the results.

"Hokage-sama...The results came back positive. There is a complete DNA match between this man and Minato-sensei. He really is Naruto-kun's uncle." Rin stated, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"You hear that, kiddo? It's official." Terry chortled as he ruffled his hair. Naruto was happy enough as Rin put him unde a forced sleep jutsu to help him rest while they talked things over.

However, Terry was worried. He knew nothing about raising kids, although the future he envisioned with Lily McGuire included some. He couldn't help but wonder what Lily would do in this situation. Suddenly, something spoke to him in the back of his head.

_"Terry...This boy was a orphan just like us and he is your long lost nephew...You really should take him in, protect him from the dangers of this world. I have faith that your friends and remaining family will help you. Besides...He's really cute."_ Lily's voice called out to him, then faded away.

He remembered that Lily loved children and if she were presented with this situation, she would have taken Naruto without a second thought. That little fact served to harden his resolve, to take the boy under his wing and back with him.

_'Maybe Mai...Or even Mary can help me out with this...Joe'd probably get a kick out of this kid and Andy'd like to meet him.'_ He reasoned as he went down a list of friends that could help him raise the boy or give him some advice, like Kim Kaphwan, who was married and had two boys of his own getting into their teens.

_'Speaking of which...I need to drop him a line and see if he's up for a sparring match. Haven't done that in a while.'_ Terry thought as he continued.

Even Takuma Sakazaki, even though his kids Yuri and Ryo were grown now, could give some advice.

_'Wait a minute...Yuri's studying Child Psychology in college and she used to babysit their neighbor's kids from what Ryo told me. Maybe she could give me some pointers, too.'_

His thinking and pondering was cut short when the door to the room burst open to reveal a trio of old people, the three elders.

"Hiruzen...I had gotten word of a new person in the village defending the...Child." The one in bandages drawled.

"Why would you keep such information from us, Hiruzen?" The old woman asked.

"This matter does not concern you." Hiruzen told them evenly, but there was still an edge to his voice.

"Oh? The matter of this child being taken away from the village is not our concern? I believe this concerns all of us, considering WHAT he is. We shall call a meeting with the council in one hour to decide the fate of the boy. " The old man with glasses retorted as the three of them walked off.

"Who were they? Those old council geezers?" Terry asked.

"Regrettably, yes. I'm afraid that you will have to challenge the council for thr right to claim your nephew, but the evidence that Rin-chan has provided will dispel any argument." Sarutobi assured him, Terry groaning.

"Great..." He muttered as they headed to the council chamber.

_**KONOHA COUNCIL CHAMBERS**_

Both sides of the council were convened as they usually do every week, but this was, as they were told, a special meeting. They were informed that a person claiming to have blood ties to the Yondaime's Legacy had come to claim the boy and take him away. Naturally, they wanted to see some proof, not wanting an enemy nation or power to gain the power that lay sleeping within him...At least that was how the Shinobi side saw things. They knew that if the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki indeed had a blood relative willing to claim him, they had no legal right to keep him. If they resisted, they ran the risk of incurring the Daimyo's mistrust, leading to a dramatic drop in the missions they were entrusted with. The Civilian side wanted this man to disappear, so they could keep their weapon in case of war. Even the haughty clans like the Uchiha and the Hyuuga agreed that if this man was indeed a blood relative, it would be for the best if the child went with him. Fugaku knew whose child he was and bore a deep respect for him, so he stayed neutral in all matters regarding the boy. Hiashi Hyuuga was the man's Genin teammate, and tried to help the boy along where ever he could, as did the other major clan heads.

Finally, the door opened to reveal Sarutobi and the man in question. Once they all got a good look at him, there was no denying the fact that this man bore a remarkable resemblance to their deceased Yondaime...And the boy. The only thing that was different was the eye shape and his personality, which the boy got form his mother, Kushina. The man looked to be very strong if his build told them everything and that he was a trained fighter due to how his eyes took in everything around him. He was oddly dressed, but that was a question htat would have to wait. Sarutobi called the meeting to order so they could continue.

"I trust you all know why you have all been called here. This is to decide the fate of one Naruto Uzumaki. This young man here has come to find his brother, who was lost long ago. That same boy that was found over twenty years ago turned out to be none other that Minato Namikaze, our Yondaime Hokage." Sarutobi informed them. Right after he said that, the room exploded into chaos, objections and demands for proof came flying in from everywhere. Sarutobi flared out his Ki to pacify the room. Even Terry was rattled by it.

_'Whoa...That's a scary old man...'_ He thought.

"Now...If you would be so kind as to let me continue...I have already ordered blood testing to be done with his blood against both Naruto's and the Yondaime's. All three correlate to each other, showing direct blood relations. He really is the brother of the Yondaime and uncle to Naruto." Sarutobi concluded.

The council couldn't believe the bombshell that had just been dropped on them, ubt a few on the Shinobi council only smirked, as they had knew of Naruto's parentage. However, the fact that Minato had blood sliblings elsewhere was a new one on them. The Civilians, though, weren't ready to give in.

"Did you really think these tests would satisfy us, Hiruzen? On top of that, how would this, vagabond even be able to care for the boy? how do we know he will ot sell the boy off to Iwa or Kumo?" Homura challenged.

"I wouldn't do something like that to the poor kid. From what I've seen and heard, he's been through enough. Besides, my younger brother Andy and his new fiancee can help me look after the kid. On top of that, I've got a lot of friends back home that can help out." Terry countered.

"And where would this place of residence be?" Danzo half asked and demanded.

"Well...I came here by boat from the East and we were sailing for at LEAST a month. I live in Southtown, off of the Southeast coastline of the United States." He answered.

"Then...You came from beyond the veil..." Koharu murmured, causing the others to mutter amongst themselves. Visitors from the lands beyond theirs were extremely rare. However, Danzo wasn't about to let his intended pawn slip though his fingers. He fished for other reasons to keep the boy within his reach for once he left the veil, he would be impossible to track down.

"What of the boy's Godparents?" Danzou challenged.

"Jiraiya and Tsunade had both been absent in the boy's life since he was born and haven't even bothered to check on him. They have lost any claim to him." Hiashi Hyuuga countered.

"Surely...There must be a shinobi family willing to take him in." Homura retorted, on his last legs.

"None of us can take him in thanks to _your_ law stating that no shinobi family can adopt him, in fear that they would use him to assert supremacy." Shikaku Nara shot back, blowing away the last of their arguments. Danzou had exhausted his reasons and went straight to demands.

"You cannot take the boy. He is our weapon, given to us by the Yondaime to use against our enemies." The scarred man demanded.

"On the contrary, Danzo...You forget that the Daimyo decreed that should a blood relative arrive to claim any orphan, that person will not be contested upon physical proof being presented. Terry-san here has that proof and will be taking the boy back with him." Fugaku called out.

"I have already requested that Naruto be trained in the shinobi arts by aquaintences of Mr. Bogard and that he be allowed to return here to formally become a Genin and possibly a Chuunin." Sarutobi added, further pacifying the Shinobi council and more of the Civilian council. Many were planning on having their daughters or female clan members around his age get to know the boy once he came back.

"Does...That mean I can take him home?" Terry asked, bewildered by all of the politcking.

"Yes. That means he can go with you under the conditions I just stated." Sarutobi replied with a grin as he turned to adress the rest of the council.

"This meeting is hereby adjurned. Any attempted to contermand this decision will be met with lethal force if nesscessary. I do not like to do so, but I WILL remind you that my power here is not purely political." Sarutobi warned the potential trouble makers as the meeting was officially ended.

"Well...It looks kinda late, so you mind if we set out in the morning?" Terry asked.

"Of course. I'll even take you to an Inn for the night. I will have Naruto ready to go in the morning." Sarutobi assured him as they set off.

Danzo wasn't ready to give in just yet. The only avenue left to him now was to emilinate this man if he wanted to keep the boy within reach. He silently ordered two of his most trusted operatives to carry out an assasination that night.

_'Like hell I will let that boy go...He will be my puppet...My weapon...'_ The old warmonger swore.

_**THAT NIGHT...**_

Terry had just gotten settled at the Inn after a good, relaxing bath.

_'Man...I forgot just how good a long bath feels...'_ He thought with a yawn and a stretch as he laid himself out on the bed, ready to close his eyes. Suddenly...He sat up and rummaged through his bag for something. After a moment of searching, he pulled out a picture. It was a picture of Lily from a few years ago, around the same time as the Geese Howard incident.

"Lily...I wonder what you would say about this? I know you'd like the kid. I do." Terry said to the picture as he began to close his eyes, allowing sleep to take over.

Just outside of the window, two Ne shinobi had gotten the opportunity they needed to kill their target and stealthly crept up to the window, opening it slowly and quietly. They then sneaked their way next to Terry's bed and slowly drew their weapons to kill him in his sleep. Without warning to them, Terry's eyes snapped open as he performed one of his special moves almost as if by reflex...

_**RISING TACKLE!**_

The technique caught the two of them completely off guard, knocking them out of the room and into the hall. The two were dazed, but hardly had time to recover from the powerful blow as the blond fighter came barreling through the hole they made and pressed his attack with a flurry of punches and kicks. Despite being high level shinobi, they were having a great deal of trouble fending him off until they mamaged to slip away to put some distance between them.

"What the hell is goin' on here?" Terry growled at them.

"The Kyuubi vessel must not leave our village. That means that you must die, outsider." One of them droned in a dead voice as they flipped through handseals for a jutsu.

_**FUUTON : KAZE YAIBA!**_

Normally, one from outside of the Elemental Nations would be caught flatfooted against something like this. Terry was a different story. He'd faced the likes of Mars, Krauser and several other deadly fighters, so this came as no surprize to him, chambering a move of his own. He gathered the energy into his fist, then lashed out with it.

_**POWER WAVE!**_

The energy blast was not only quick enough to catch them off guard, but it smashed its way through their combined attack and left them embedded in the far wall across the hall, leaving them stunned. Not wanted to waste the chance he was given, he decided to use one of his older techniques, revised of course.

_**DUAL BURNING KNUCKLE!**_

With a burst of power and speed, he crammed both of his power engulfed fists into the sternums of his attackers taking them down completely, not to mention putting a rather large hole in the wall where they plummeted down to the street. Terry didn't even get a change to catch his breath when two more ninja appeared, these shinobi wearing a different patch on their uniforms.

"Excuse me, but can you tell me what happened here?" One of them asked.

"Those two clowns in the masks just attacked me and I defended myself!" Terry explained. The vibe he got from these guys was that they were some kind of police force, if the notepad the other guy was scribbling in wasn't a big enough clue.

"Okay...Where did they land?" The other man asked.

"Right over...There?" Terry turned and pointed, but there was only an empty crater in the wall where the two ninja once were.

"Aw man! Those bastards got away!" He whined, ripping the ballcap off his head and throwing it to the ground. The two already knew he wasn't lying, since they felt the charka usage and the strange energy signature from a few moments ago, indicating a struggle. On top of that, they had been briefed that he was a guest of the Hokage.

"We will chase down the people who attacked you. Now, did they bear any markings?" The security officer asked.

"Yeah...It was wierd...They had on these plain, empty looking masks...The way they spoke was like they were dead or something. Creepy." Terry explained to them. It wierded him out how they seemed alive yet dead at the same time.

"Really? How interesting..." A familiar voice called out. All three of them turned to see the Hokage walking up, two of his personal ANBU walking with him.

"Were the masks like theirs?" Sarutobi asked Terry.

"No...Like I said, they were...I dunno...Blank." Terry replied. He couldn't WAIT to leave this place. The look on the old man's face spoke volumes about his attackers.

"I fear that there is a certain rouge element in the village that believes that they are the ones who deserve to run this village. I have a good hunch as to who the leader is, but I cannot unveil his operatives, nor his headquarters. A hunch alone cannot bring him down since he is too well entrenched in the politics of this village." Sarutobi explained to him.

Terry just didn't get politics and he didn't really feel like it, neither. It was just too confusing and in his friend Joe's words, _"Stupid brain hurty things"._ Sarutobi led Terry to his residence to sleep in one of his kid's old rooms, Asuma's, for the night. There, he would be able to sleep without the threat of another attack.

From the rooftops, the one who gave the kill orders scowled in displeasure. His intentions were now known to his old rival since his operatives were beaten and the target still very much alive, having single handedly beaten two of his finest assassins. By now, he knew that Sarutobi had put extra security around Naruto to prevent anything further from happening between now and the time he departs the village. He had only one option left to him now.

_'I will now have to wait until they leave. Mr. Bogard will meet with an...Unfortunate accident.'_ Danzou thought, his treacherous plan already forming as he retired to his chambers to set his plan into motion.

_**THE NEXT DAY - KONOHA MAIN GATE**_

Rin, Kakashi, Anko, and the others who were Naruto friendly turned up at the gates to see the boy off, with the added task of keeping an eye out for any troublemakers. After a few moments, Sarutobi showed up at the gates, Naruto in tow with him with a small travel pack. Rin wasted no time in bum rushing the boy, smothering him with affection. She really didn't want her little fox to leave her, but she knew that it was for the best. She was further relieved when she found out that he would be returning to take the Genin test and the Chuunin Exams, as well. Kakashi was eagerly awaiting the day the boy would return, so that he could teach his psuedo-father figure's son and pass on his teachings. The Ichiraku family had also come to see him off, sending him off with several packets of their own brand of instant ramen and Ayame with a solid kiss on the cheek.

"Ack! Ayame-onechan!" Naruto whined in embarrassment, much to his new uncle's amusement as he leaned to Kakashi.

"He's gonna be a little lady killer, won't he?" Terry asked.

"You have no idea...His father had fangirls even in enemy villages. Naruto-chan's mother, however, managed to scare them all away." Kakashi explained, chuckling at the memory of the frightening Kushina Uzumaki when she was angry. Terry remembered that old Sarutobi had told him about Naruto's parents and how his sister-in-law, while a very sweet young woman and very mothering on Kakashi and his teammates, was particularly nasty when enraged, even for a red head.

"Man...She would probably make Krauser wet himself. She sounds like Mai when she's mad..." Terry groused as they readied themselves to leave. Before they left, Sarutobi gave him a few scrolls for Naruto's ninja training.

"Just give them to the Shiranui clan. They will know what to do." Sarutobi assured him.

After more goodbyes, the pair set out again for the world beyond the veil. What they didn't see, however, was a small team of nameless shinobi following them through the treetops, disgused as an ANBU team.

_**TWO WEEKS LATER - PORTS IN WATER COUNTRY...**_

Two weeks had come and gone, seeing our two blonds entering a port town where they could catch the ship that brought Terry to these lands back to where he departed, a port in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was close to South Town, around a hour bus trip south to the Central area where his apartment was. The team that had been tailing them hadn't anticipated their port choice, which was in the middle of Mizukagure's partol routes and a frequented hub for their shinobi. Every time they were about to strike, they had to stay their hands due to the heavy forces in the area. On their final night, they met a small team of returning Jounin from Mizu and even agreed to share a room with them. Amongst them was a particularly attractive young kunoichi named Mei Terumi and a man named Zabuza Momochi, the former of which had taken a shine to Naruto.

"He's soooo cute!" The auburn haired woman gushed, mushing the blushing 5 year old into her bosom as she regarded his guardian.

"He's really your nephew?" She asked.

"Yep. Just claimed him and now I'm taking him back with me." Terry explained. They all talked into the night and turned in for the night. Mei insisted on having the boy share her bed and call her Mei-onechan, the latter Naruto had no problem with. She had all but turned him into her personal plushie as Terry roomed with the men on her team, splitting the cost.

Outside the window, the team of Ne shinobi had grown desperate since their targets would be boarding their boat that would take them out of reach early tomorrow morning. They all got into position, waited for them to sleep...Then they attacked. They came in through the windows and went after their targets at the same time. Thankfully, the Mizu shinobi were among the best their village could offer and Terry was a veteran fighter, all of which reacted in a split second.

"What do you want?" Mei yelled as she parried a blow meant for her head.

"The boy...Our lord desires the Kyuubi vessel and he shall have him." The nin replied, his voice dead and hollow, giving her a feeling of dread. However, what he called the boy struck a chord with the Mist nin.

"It can't be..." Zabuza murmured.

"This little boy...Is a Jinchuuriki?" Mei whispered as she looked at Naruto, who was clutching her leg in fear.

"Wait...I ran into these guys back in that Leaf village. They want the kid for some creep that wants to turn him into a weapon." Terry replied. Mei knew about Jinchuuriki since the Yondaime Mizukage was one himslef, but even if this boy was one, he was an still just an innocent little boy. She would protect this boy like any other. Without hesitating, Mei cast her special jutsu against them and melting one of the attacking nin. Zabuza followed suit and cleaved another cleanly in half while Terry broke the neck of another with another one of his moves.

_**CRACK SHOT!**_

With a burst of energy, Terry connected with a fatal heel drop on the area where the shoulder and neck connects, breaking the final nins neck like a twig and ending the fight. Zabuza turned to the blond man and his nephew.

"Konoha...You say the boy came from Konoha?" Zabuza asked.

"...Yes." Terry answered hesitantly, not knowing if they were going to turn on him now.

"So...This child really is the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki." Mei replied, her voice carrying a saddened tone. Naruto thought that this nice lady was going to hit or abandon him now based on past experience, but she scooped him up into a hug.

"That doesn't really matter. He's still sooo cute!" The powerful kunoichi gushed, making her team facepalm. Zabuza remembered that the child was from a rival village and sought to know where they were going. Terry didn't see any need to lie about it.

"I'm not sticking around here, that's for damn sure! My home is across the seas, almost a month's travel from here by boat." Terry told them, wisely deciding to leave out the fact that he would he returning when Naruto was 12. Sarutobi told them that if they were stopped by any foreign shinobi, even allied shinobi, to tell them that this was a one way trip. That way, they would most likely leave them alone. Since these people found out about Naruto's condition, though, he had to do something.

"Since you guys know about his, um...Little problem, could you guys kinda keep it on the down low? We don't want more people like these guys trying to come after him." Terry requested earnestly.

Mei looked to her teammate Zabuza, who merely shrugged. She took that as a sign that he accepted the request for silence, so she did the same. It wasn't like the boy had any say in what happened to him and his only living relative was taking him far away from their lands, beyond the veil where a completely different world existed. This would likely be the last they saw of them. With this understanding, the group all retired to bed, intending to get as much sleep as they could.

_**NEXT MORNING...**_

Morning came and saw the blond pair ready to board the boat that would take Naruto to start his new life beyond the village that scorned his very existance. Terry woke up in his bed slowly, since he wasn't really a morning person _**(Who is, honestly?)**_, and slowly put his vest and trademark hat on, ambling over to the restroom to wash his face and wake up some more. He then left the room to see if his nephew had risen yet to find that Mei and Naruto weren't there. Fearing that he'd been taken from under his nose, he bolted downstairs to the front desk to ask around for them. No sooner than he bolted down there, he spotted them in the inn's restaurant, getting some breakfast. He let out a sigh of relief as he sat down at the table and placed an order for some rice and Miso, a taste he acquired thanks to hanging around Mai and Andy in Japan.

"Hey squirt." Terry yawned as his food came, beginning to eat.

"Morning, Terry-ojisan." Naruto replied brightly as he dug into his cereal that Mei had ordered for him, apparently.

"I'll pay you back for getting him breakfast." He whispered as he dug into his pocket for his wallet, but she shook her head.

"It's alright. He was a little sweetheart last night and such a little gentleman! He'll have girls falling head over heels for him in the future if he keeps this up!" Mei gushed as she beamed at the small boy, who blushed brightly and tried to busy himself with his meal. Terry chuckled at his new nephew's actions. Breakfast passed on peacefully, even when Zabuza came ambling downstairs, grumbling about one thing or another.

The time to leave had finally come and Mei dragged a protesting Zabuza over to the docks to see them off. After smothering the poor boy (?) with affection, she let them go.

"Do you think we will see them again?" Mei asked her partner.

"Dunno. Anything's possible. Now c'mon...I wanna get this mission over with and sleep in my own bed tonight." The browless swordsman complained as they marched off to Kirigakure.

_**OVER TWO WEEKS LATER...**_

_**KYOTO, JAPAN**_

_**HIDDEN DOCKING BERTH**_

After a rough 18 days at sea, their ship finally dropped anchor and made berth in a hidden dock just outside of Kyoto. Terry never really did well at sea and it seemed as though it ran in the family, since Naruto looked a little green at times, too. During their voyage, Terry was teaching him some English and how to read and write it. Once they got off the ship, the ship's captain asked them to keep this berth's existance a secret, since the Elemental Nations are not meant to interact with the outside world. The first place they went was for some food in downtown Kyoto...A ramen stand.

"Mmmhmmm! It's not Teuchi-jiji's ramen, but it's still pretty good!" Naruto cheered. It was his first bowl in a while and he wanted to savor it. Terry liked ramen just fine, but he was peculiar about it. He only really liked the real thing from these little mom and pop places, not the instant kind.

After re-fueling themselves, Terry took his nephew over to the train station so that they could get out to the Shiranui Compound, which was out in the country and taking a Taxi out there was out of the question financially. They would have to take a train to a station that was a little over a mile away from the compound and walk from there. Along the way, little Naruto was wowed by all of the things he'd never seen before, like cars and trains. The way people were dressed was different from what he was used to, but people kept on asking where Naruto got his sandals. He was also floored that he wasn't glared at everywhere he looked and that some of the old people were calling him cute. A group of girls who looked to be early teenagers all glomped him, even pecked him on the cheek for calling them pretty. The damnest thing, though, was that they followed by a boy around 10 years old, calling after her with other teenage girls calling for him.

"Negi-sensei!" One girl called out. Terry pulled himself and his nephew out of the way as he thought to himself.

_'That Kakashi guy wasn't kidding...This kid is a chick magnet.'_

Naruto's first train ride was a memorable one, since he clung to Terry's leg like a barnacle when train jerked to a start and he didn't have time to peel the boy off, so he simply walked off the train with him still attached. He finally coaxed him off with a crepe from a nearby vendor, getting his first crepe in the process.

"Mmm...That was good! Thanks, Terry-ojisan!" Naruto chirped as they walked out of the station and down the road.

_**SHIGA PREFECTURE, EAST OF KYOTO, JAPAN.**_

As they walked down the road, Terry was suprized and somewhat impressed that Naruto hadn't said that he was tired, still going strong.

_'Man...That kid's got some endurance.'_

Naruto was busy taking in the scenery of the surrounding forest, thinking of just how much this area looks just like home. That also got him to thinking about how old man Hokage was doing, along with Anko and the ANBU-niichan that always guarded him. Terry was busy thinking about how things were going to go once he finally got back to Southtown. He already knew that they would be spending some time at the compound so that they could unravel the scrolls the Hokage gave to them, but even he didn't know just how long that would take. His landlady might just toss his stuff into the streetso she could rent his apartment out. With all of the musing going on, they completely missed the fact that they were being followed the second they turned off of the main road and down the forest path to the Shiranui compound. Without warning, a kunoichi hopped down from the trees to intercept them.

"Halt! What are you doing here?" She asked, her companions leaping down behind and to the sides, surrounding them. Terry just sighed.

"Look...I'm here to see Mai and my brother Andy. I brought our nephew to see them." Terry explained to them. Realization dawned on them as they recognised who he was.

"Oh...Mr. Bogard! I'm sorry about this, but we have to be careful about who we allow near the compound." She explained, Terry understanding why. The woman then bent down to take a look at the small blond boy who had the widest blue eyes she had ever seen. The markings on his cheeks reminded her of a cute little fox kit as she glomped him, like all pretty girls seemed to be doing as of late...And he seemed to be getting quite used to it and liking it.

She led them to the main house, where old man Hanzou was currently meditating. The kunoichi, who was named Kaede, asked them to wait there while she found Mai and Andy. Terry and Naruto looked at each other, shrugged and sat down to wait. Terry quickly nodded off, since they had a rather long day. Naruto, being who he is, got curious and ventured over to the old man.

"Oi...Jii-san? Jii-san? Hey! Wake up, Jii-san!" Naruto called out, doing everything he could to wake the old man before him. Unknown to him, the two people that they had come to see were watching from a crack in the door. Mai was trying to hold back from busting a gut while Andy was on the verge of having an anyeurism from the way the boy was climbing all over his master like a blond spider monkey. Andy looked over the room and found his elder brother, snoring in the corner. He bolted over to his elder sibling and shook him awake.

"Terry! Wake up, you slacker!" Andy hissed. Terry woke up groggily.

"Mmnn...Mary? That you?" Terry yawned, pawing around half awake.

"No! It's me, Andy!" He replied.

"Oh...Hey there, little bro. Guess who I brought over?" The elder Bogard replied, gesturing over to the vacated pack by his side to see where Naruto had gotten off to. He was about to ask if he'd seen a little blond boy until he saw him...Molding Master Hanzou's face like play-doh. The boy say his uncle awake and bolted over to him like a blond lighting bolt.

"Uncle Terry! Uncle Terry! That old guy is dead!" The five year old wailed, pointing madly at the old man. Mai just couldn't take it anymore and burst into the room clutching her sides, hurting from laughing so hard.

"Oh...Oh my God...This kid is too much!" She laughed as she rolled on the floor. As soon as Terry understood what was going on, he joined in too, much to Naruto's confusion and frustration.

"What's wrong with you guys? That old geezer is dead!" Naruto exclaimed stomping over to the man and pointing.

"It's not very nice to think someone dead, my boy." A voice from behind him stated. Naruto turned around slowly to see the _dead_ old man staring right at him, a dry expression on his face.

"GAAAAAAHHHH! ZOMBIE JII-CHAN!" Naruto screamed latching onto the ceiling of the dojo, much like a scared cat in a cartoon, babbling incoherently while pointing.

The old man sniggered, snorted, then finally burst out laughing, falling over while clutching his sides much like his granddaughter and Terry. He hadn't gotten to do that since Mai was a small child and she reacted the exact same way. Terry and Mai managed to coax him down from the ceiling after 5 full minutes of bargaining and the promise of a bowl of ramen.

"Terry? Who is this boy? I thought you went to find your lost brother? Why did he call you Uncle?" Mai asked.

"Our brother was already dead, has been for the past five years. But...I brought back his son. Our nephew. Mai, Andy...This is Naruto." Terry stated as he introduced the boy to them.

He told them about the life their brother led over in the Elemental Nations and that he was a Kage. That also led to telling them about Naruto's Jinchuuriki status, thanks to his father's efforts to save the village. Mai and Hanzou's faces darkened when they were told of how that affected the boy's life, being subjected ridicule and hate. Mai had been told about Jinchuuriki and the stigma they suffered under their whole lives. Hanzou knew of another Jinchuuriki of the very same beast the boy bore...The wife of the Shodaime Hokage, but the knowledge of her condition was kept secret and only a small handful of people knew.

"Oh yeah...The Sandaime Hokage asked me to give these to you..." Terry broke in for a moment, digging into his bag and taking out sevreal scrolls but one bore the seal of the Hokage himself, addressed to Hanzou. Hanzou checked it for traps but found none, opening the scroll with a burst of smoke.

_Hanzou Shiranui...I know that you left this village long ago, leaving behind all that you knew to venture forth into a new world. I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I still am about your younger sister. I never meant for her to get hurt on that mission we were on. I just want you to know that I never added your name to the Missing nin list, nor will I send any nin after you or your family. _

_ However, all that I ask is that you use the rest of these scrolls to help train Naruto in the ways of the shinobi, in chakra usage and in how to handle his bijuu as best you can. Naruto is the son of the Yondaime Hokage and the last of the Uzumaki from Uzushiogakure. His mother, Kushina Uzumaki, was also a jinchuuriki like Mito-sama before them, but something went horribly wrong the night he was born. A man claiming to be Madara Uchiha appeared and attemped to steal the Kyuubi from Kushina and succeeded in taking the beast under his thrall, but Minato, the Yodaime Hokage and Naruto-chan's father, and his mother both managed to subdue the beast and seal it inside of him...At the cost of their own lives and Minato's soul. I shouldn't have to remind you about the prejudice Jichuuriki suffer under and it was the reason why Mito's and Kushina's statuses were never made public, but something went wrong again that night. _

_ Someone found out about the boy's condition and told the rest of the village. It spread like wildfire, many clamoring for the child's death and blaming him for the death of his own father. I have tried everything I could to keep him safe for the past five years, but my efforts were largely in vain. Once Terry came to us and agreed to take him, it was a relief beyond any experienced before. Many of the Shinobi clan heads supported the idea, again to my relief and allowed him to take the child with him under the condition that he return when it is time to take the Genin Exam and Chuunin Exam. Once he makes Chuunin, he will be free to do as he wishes. It is the least I can do for failing the boy and his parents so heinously. You have my permission to tell the boy about his parents, something I hadn't the heart nor the courage to do. Minato and Kushina had many enemies here and would have jumped at the chance to kill their son as a twisted form of revenge._

_ To add to that, the boy still has Godparents, but they have been absent his entire life. If you remember my students at all, two of them, Tsunade and Jiraiya are them. If they come looking for Naruto, show them this letter and hopefully they will understand._

_ Please honor the request of this foolish old man._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage._

Hanzou nearly dropped the letter in shock. He and his family are safe from being hunted down for his choices and it was his old friend Hiruzen who took up the mantle of Sandaime Hokage, still holding the office to this day. On top of that, Hiruzen told him the full story of what happened that night, on top of apologizing for what made him leave the village in the first place, the death of his younger sister.

"Jii-san? What's wrong?" Mai asked in concern for the look on her grandfather's face. She had been holding Naruto in her lap the whole time, curled up in a little ball and completely content. Hanzou handed her the note, which she read aloud and she looked at the boy, who had a hangdog look on his face after hearing the contents of the letter. He now knew who his real parents were, but felt a little betrayed that the old man couldn't tell him himself.

"Poor kid...He's such a little sweetheart, too." She whispered as she kissed his forehead.

"But don't you worry...Auntie Mai will help look after you!" She declaired in a much peppier tone.

"Wow...You're my Auntie? Cool!" Naruto cheered happily, giving her a big hug that made her burst out into a fit of squeals, crushing the child into her more than generous bust.

"Auntie? But you're not a Bogard, Mai." Andy replied.

"Not _yet_, you mean_._" Mai cooed, making him sigh in defeat.

"Give it up, little bro...She's got you fitted for a wedding ring and determined to get you to the altar, even if she has to drag you kicking and screaming." Terry chuckled.

"Oh yeah? What about you and Mary? Is she going to have to blackmail you into a wedding?" Andy retorted to his elder brother's teasing.

"Boys...Behave!" Mai chided the two lightly quarrling brothers, before adding her own quip.

"Besides, Terry's right." She added with a wink.

Hanzou was happy to see that his granddaughter was immune to the madness and stigma that surrounded the Jinchuuriki and that she had taken to him so quickly. He unsealed the rest of the scrolls to see that Hiruzen had included the complete curriculum from the Academy, along with a few bonuses. He felt that with Naruto's second chakra source, he would never be able to use the standard Bunshin so he included the Kage Bunshin, which could only be used by one with massive stores of chakra without dire consequences.

_'Well, Hiruzen was always one to plan ahead.'_ Hanzou mused. He reckoned it wouldn't be too hard to teach the boy, since the basis of the Shiranui ninja was rooted in techniques from Konoha and this included chakra exercises and justu to a limited extent. Mai herself was on par with a high level Jounin, an A-Rank kunoichi. On top of that, she already became attached to him so she would gladly help teach him.

"Well, Naruto-chan...I would like to welcome you to the Shiranui School..." Hanzou greeted the boy like he was welcoming a great-grandson. Naruto was delighted to hear that he was going to learn to be a ninja like his mom and dad were.

"Well...I'd like to teach him a few things I learned from Master Tung once he's old enough. Besides, I'll be taking him back with me to Southtown." Terry added. Naruto remembered seeing his Uncle Terry use those really cool moves in the fight at the Inn.

"Whoa...Awesome, Uncle Terry!" Naruto exclaimed once again. Mai was immeadately concerned for the boy's safety.

"Terry...Is that such a good idea? I mean...Southtown is really dangerous." Mai inquired.

"Not the area where I live. Remember? I live near the Sakazaki dojo. No one's stupid enough to try anything there and it's a pretty good neighborhood. Things there have really calmed down since Geese and that Mr. Big guy got beat down." Terry explained. Mai seemed relieved after hearing that, but insisted that he begin his training here for the first few months to get the basics down.

_*Sigh* 'My return home just got delayed. Oh well, at least it was for a good reason.'_ Terry rationalized. He could use this time to find out how to raise a kid. He had a few calls to make.

While Naruto was getting settled in with Mai, Terry used the phone and a little pocket book of contacts to make a call to Takuma Sakazaki for advice.

_"This is the Sakazaki Dojo, Yuri speaking."_ The voice on the other end answered.

"Hey Yuri...It's me, Terry."

_"Oh! Terry! It's been a few months! Where on earth have you been? We've been worried sick about you and Mary's wiped out over half of the gangs around here trying to find you! She even put that big jerk Jack in traction!" _Yuri exclaimed.

Apparently Blue Mary hadn't taken his disappearance too well and went on a one sided rampage that seems to have decimated much of the criminal element in the city, making him feel even better about bringing Naruto home with him. Terry explained what he'd been up to for the past few months and she understood why he left. Terry was an orphan who'd been taken in by a good friend of her father's Jeff Bogard. It all made sense. She was even more surprized to hear that he'd be returning with his nephew in a couple of months.

_"Aw! I can't wait to meet the little cutie!" _Yuri gushed.

"Yeah...I hope that will be enough to keep Mary from skinning me alive." Terry replied.

_"I dunno...Mary was pretty steamed..."_ Yuri replied.

"She's gonna kill me...I knew it." Terry whined until he remembered his apartment.

"Hey Yuri...Did my landlady come looking for me or outright evict me?" He asked her, dreading the news.

_"Well...She was about to have you evicted, but Robert paid the back rent. I think he's going to have a request for you when you come back." _Yuri warned, making him facepalm. Robert Garcia was a notorious rich party boy. He knew that whatever he wanted, it would likely be a pain in the ass. But at least he was a pain in the ass that paid well.

"Great..." Terry groaned.

_"What did you need, anyway?"_ Yuri asked.

"I wanted to talk to your dad about how to raise a kid. I thought he'd have a good idea how." Terry answered. Yuri just went silent on the other end.

"Yuri? You there?" Terry asked.

_"I'm going to PRETEND that I didn't hear that, Terry. C'mon...You can't be THAT dense. Remember that my dad disappeared for over 8 years?" _Yuri reminded him, making him feel like a Grade-A jackass.

"Oh..." He muttered embarrassingly.

_"If you want advice...Try Kim Kaphwan. At least HE stuck around his kids."_ Yuri suggested.

"That's true...Thanks Yuri. Before I go, would you be interested in babysitting every once in a while when I bring him back?" He asked. Yuri's squeal told him everything he needed to hear as they both hung up. Terry was about to dig out his book again to call Kim in Seoul, but Naruto and Mai came back out.

"Hey little man...Nice duds." Terry commented on Naruto's new clothes, which he wore with his sandals. They were a much smaller version of the Shiranui Ninja outfit, since he was to train with them for a couple of months.

"Thanks, Uncle Terry! Auntie Mai said that she'd help train me!" Naruto told him excitedly. He could certainly say that the boy had boundless energy, like a miniature ball of sunlight. He'd need it for the training that was to come.

_ A/N: There...My newest brainchild that was inspired by an unfinished fic, called Konoha's Lonely Wolf by DhampyrX2. I really liked it, but sought to change things around. One of the things I imagined that was humorous as Terry Bogard in a suit and tie for a job interview, along with raising a five year old Naruto. I know that canon wise, Mai's grandfather is dead, but for the sake of this fic, he's alive and well...As well as a former Konoha Jounin on par with Sarutobi. Anyway...Don't expect many of the Narutoverse denizens to pop up, nor any pairins for Naruto for the time being. I DO plan on having Mai literally drag Andy to the altar, along with Blue Mary hatching something of her own to snare a Lone Wolf. This is around KOF '95 timeframe, too._

_Also...I might put in little cameo plugs here and there, like the Negima plug in Kyoto._

_Lemme know how this went!_


	2. Chapter 2

_I'm back with another chapter. Been busy as of late, but I have been finding the time here and there to write more of my fics. I finally got this one done and now, here you go!_

It had been three months since Naruto had left the Shinobi Nations and the Veil that separated the two worlds behind for his new life with his father's younger brothers. The boy had been training in the ninja arts under the Shiranui clan, but using the Konoha Academy's curriculum. He also made his first friend his age in a little girl named Renge, who was training in the family arts beside him. Now that his training time was up and he had to leave with his Uncle Terry for a country called the United States. While he was packing up to leave, the small boy thought back over the past few months he spent here.

_**FLASHBACK, THREE MONTHS AGO**_

_**SHIRANUI COMPOUND **_

_**SHIGA PREFECTURE, KYOTO, JAPAN**_

_**JUST BEFORE DAWN**_

_"Zzzzzzz..." Naruto snored loudly as he and his uncles slept in the same room. _

_It had been two days since Naruto and Terry arrived at the compound._

_It didn't bother Terry nor Andy one bit since Andy snored loudly too and Terry was a notoriously heavy sleeper, bordering on Zen-like. The shoji door to the room slid open slowly, a Shiranui kunoichi slinking inside to her target, the youngest blond in the room. She hefted her weapon to aim and properly guide it's flight. She then released her weapon and it made a direct hit...Splashing the poor boy with ice cold water and making him sputter awake._

_"Don't get jealous, Ramen-chan! Crepe-chan meant nothing to me!" The boy yelled at a rapid clip, bolting upright in a heartbeat to see Kaede, the kunoichi he met when he first came to the compound, trying to hold back a chuckle._

_"Arise, newbie! Today's the first day of training!" She stated loudly in a drill Sergeant-like voice, surprisingly not arousing the other two in the room from their slumber, although Andy was smirking a bit under his covers._

_'Ahh...That brings back memories. They did the exact same thing to me when I first came here.' Andy thought as he went back to sleep...Or tried to until a familiar weight pressed down on top of him._

_"Andy...It's time to get up now..." Mai cooed sweetly, but a dark undertone was laced in there._

_"Damn...Do I gotta, Mai?" Andy whined sleepily as he looked at his alarm clock to see that it was just past 0430 hours._

_"Yes you do, Andy. Do you want to miss your nephew's first day of training?" Mai chided him, but heard snickering from Terry's direction. Without even looking, Mai chucked her water balloon over her shoulder and hit him squarely on the head, drenching him the same way Naruto was and making him jump._

_"BWAH! COLD!" Terry yelped as he scrambled out of bed._

_"That's for laughing at Andy." Mai stated simply as she strutted off._

_"Man...That was cold..." Terry shivered as he got up and dried himself off. He then realized that he didn't have any spare clothes with him that were clean, so he ventured to ask if they had any spare clothes he could borrow. What he got in return was a uniform that looked almost exactly like his brother's. Andy let out a snigger, chuckle, then full blown laughter._

_"Hee...Hee heh...Looking good, big brother..." Andy teased the embarrassed Terry._

_"Jerk." Terry grumbled as they watched their young nephew starting his first day of ninja training alongside another child his age...A little girl named Renge. _

_She was the daughter of Mai's elder sister, Ai, who was in attendance. The girl had long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail like her mother and aunt and had big chocolate brown eyes with a cherubic and slightly chubby face like all kids their age did. The girl wore the standard Shiranui outfit, but with a pair of bike shorts, much unlike her aunt's blur uniform and her mother's own style._

_"Who is this boy, Mai-chan?" Ai wondered curiously. _

_Mai explained everything, even about the Kyuubi. She was correct in thinking that her sister would see past the beast and see the sweet boy he really was. Ai was shocked to hear that the boy was form the Elemental Nations, Konoha of all places. She was also relieved that the current Hokage was content to leave them in peace, that they wouldn't be branded as Nuke-nin. She watched as her daughter interacted with the boy, Naruto telling her a story about a prank he pulled just before he left._

_"That was a very funny prank, Naruto-kun." Renge replied with a shy giggle. Naruto, for his part, was keeping an eye on the woman standing with Mai, wondering if she was going tear her child away from him and tell him to stay away. He was further shocked when she smiled at him and walked over calmly to them._

_"Who's your new friend, Renge-chan?" Ai asked._

_"Oh! Hahaoya! This is Naruto-kun! He's the nephew of Mai-obasan's fiancee and he's really very funny." Renge introduced her new friend to her mother. Naruto looked downcast and ready to bolt if he had to. She could only feel heartbreak as he flinched away from her touch._

_'Mai-chan was right...What in the world have those monsters in Konoha done to this boy?' She thought sadly._

_"Don't worry, Naruto-chan...I won't hurt you." Ai soothed the boy, who began to ease up. Mai walked up after her._

_"Naruto-chan...This is my One-chan, Ai. She won't hurt you, trust me." Mai added. Mai was a person who he had come to trust in the past couple of days. The woman had shown him a great deal of affection, treating him as if he really were her own blood and that earned her a very special place in his book._

_"H-hello, Ai-san." Naruto greeted timidly._

_"Hello, Naruto-chan. I see that you and Renge-chan are getting along." Ai eased him into a conversation. Naruto was starting to feel more at ease now, beginning to open up a bit._

_"Yeah...Renge-chan is a good listener and she's really nice." Naruto replied, a tinge of pink in his whiskered cheeks._

_'Aww...This is sooo cute!' Mai gushed._

_'This is too cute...I wonder if he will be coming back around? Renge-chan would love to play with him since there are very few children her age around and she's so shy in school.' Ai reasoned._

_"Mai-chan? Would it be okay if he could play with her after their training?" Ai asked Mai._

_"W-well...It would really be up to his uncles." Mai replied, looking to Terry and Andy._

_"Sure! We should let kids be kids, right?" Terry answered her. In his opinion, all work and no play made Terry a dull boy._

_"Yeah...He should be allowed to have some time with his new girlfriend." Andy added, teasing the boy, but the boy was only confused why Renge looked so embarrassed._

_"What's a girlfriend? She's a girl and my friend, right?" Naruto asked, making the adults bust up again until Mai explained what a girlfriend was. Once she was done, Naruto turned a shade of pink that would send a Flamingo running for legal counsel. That was cute and all, but nothing compared to the shy glances the two children sent each other._

_The time finally came when Kaede came back into the room and introduced herself as their instructor for the next few months. The children then got started on unlocking their chakra, bringing as much as they could outward. As expected of a child, Renge was barely able to squeeze any out, but when Naruto's turn came, he was radiating chakra like a small nuclear reactor._

_"Okay, Naruto-kun! You can stop now!" Kaede told him hurriedly. She was both deeply impressed and visibly shaken with what she just saw._

_'No child should have that much power sleeping within them...This child is truly remarkable...' She thought in wonder._

_"What...Was that?" Terry asked, bewildered by what the hell his nephew just did. _

_"His chakra...It's massive! Only Master Hanzou or Mai-sama has so much chakra within them..." Kaede answered him. Terry and Andy both knew what chakra was, even if they couldn't use it like the Shiranui could, but after hearing about their origins and Terry seeing it first hand, it made sense. They both used Ki energy in their attacks as opposed to others who use Chi, like Master Tung and Cheng Sinzan. Granted, they weren't as flexible as Chakra, but it was still useful in terms of sheer destructive power._

_Mai and her family all had a feeling that his massive chakra stores and the stamina Terry told them about had to be a side effect of being a Jinchuuriki. Hanzou had heard of other such people gaining different abilities and traits, like how the Ichibi no Shukaku gave it's bearer the ability to control sand at will. This would be something of a boon to him during his training. He would be able to continue on when others would drop from exhaustion._

_The next surprize came from the boy absorbing everything he was taught like a small sponge, but he wasn't cocky about it. He took it all in with his childish awe and exuberance with Renge right behind him. Kaede quickly learned that to teach the two without them getting bored was to make every exercise like a game for the two children. Renge was also painfully shy, but over the course of the next three months, she had learned to open up through her play dates with Naruto. The two even made a game out of trying to prank the senior members of the clan. Old Hanzou heartily approved of the practice as long as they didn't get too destructive, since it taught the children valuable lessons in stealth and trap making, as well as planning. However, their one of their favorite targets was Andy, since he enjoyed teasing them the most._

_The younger Bogard's latest barb against his nephew was at dinner time one night. He, Terry, and Mai had been invited over to Ai's house for some Hot Pot and Andy was seated next to his nephew. What sparked Naruto's biggest prank was when Naruto was reaching for a piece of meat, Andy swiped it and left some Chrysanthemum on his plate._

_"You'll need to eat more veggies if you want to grow tall and strong for your girlfriend." Andy ribbed. The end result was Renge blushing up a storm and leaving the table, Ai and Mai both glaring at him. _

_"What? I was just teasing them." Andy defended, but he had no idea of the prank he set himself up for. The world inside of Naruto's mind was indeed a scary place._

_Later that night, while the Bogards and nephew were hosing off and doing the whole de-funking process, Naruto had snuck off, gotten a tube of rubber cement, and put some in Andy's shampoo bottle _**(**_**I got the idea from watching Police Academy 2.)**__. He then planted the bottle for the unsuspecting man to use and like clockwork, he took the spiked bottle and used it. As he lathered his long blond locks, his hands slowly got slower and slower, until they finally got stuck to his hair._

_"Wh-what the Hell? AAAHHH!" Andy screamed as he ran around like someone set him on fire, trying to rip his hands out of his hair but was only making it worse. Without realizing it, he had run out into the main compound areas completely naked save for a towel, still yanking at his hair frantically. His panicked yelling drew the attention of the whole compound, who all wondered if he'd finally cracked from being stoic all the time. Mai leapt down from a rooftop she was perched on to check on her beau and dropped to her knees laughing._

_"Mai-sama...What's so funny?" A Shiranui shinobi asked her._

_"Hhe hehe...ha...He...His hands...Glued to his hair!" Mai guffawed. Andy looked like all color had drained from his face while the rest nearly wet themselves laughing. Terry and Naruto rushed out of the bath house to observe the damage and joined in, too. Andy thought that something was fishy with them, but once he saw them high five, he knew what had happened._

_"You mean...You two did this?" Andy nearly shrieked._

_"Nope. It was his idea. I just helped a bit by distracting you." Terry replied._

_"NOBODY makes fun of Renge-chan." Naruto told him as seriously as a six-year old could. Ai thought that it was very sweet of him to stick up for her daughter the way he did. What made the scene even cuter was the fact that Renge came up to him and gave him a peck on the cheek, making him flush brightly too._

_"Aww...It's so cute the way he sticks up for her. He doesn't know it yet, he probably has a crush on my daughter and she on him. I can see them dating once they get older...Fu fu fu..." She commented to her sister._

_"I know...He's a little sweetheart, isn't he? But...I wonder where he got that devious streak from?" Mai wondered._

_"He got it from his mom from what Sarutobi told me. She was somewhat of a pranking genius and I think he might be a little terror if provoked." Terry told them._

_"Yeah...But, my hair..." Andy whined as he walked up to them. Someone had to cut his hair off and hem it short to even it out, but it still left him with hair covering his palms._

_"Andy! What...I'm not enough for you?" Mai teased, making the color drain from his face again in mortification as he got the meaning of the joke._

_"Hey...Uncle Terry? What does that mean?" Naruto asked his uncle, who sucked in air as he cringed._

_"Yeah...Um...I'll tell you when you're older." Terry answered quickly._

_**END...**_

"Heh heh..." Naruto chuckled as he remembered his greatest prank yet. Andy now had to check his bottles of shampoo and even body wash for any signs of tampering, but the rest of the Shiranui got a brilliant idea for their missions from it. Spiking bottles of wash that their marks were to use with a poison that absorbed through the skin was very easy and damn near a guaranteed kill and very difficult to determine and impossible to trace, making their harder to reach targets easier to deal with.

As Naruto finished packing his travel bag, he also liked how much better he could move as compared to before he came. He had better balance, so he could use his agility much easier. Now, he was leaping from tree to tree and roof to roof like a flying squirrel, almost able to keep up with the older ninja. But the thing he treasured the most was the fact that he had a friend his own age now, one that he would really miss while he was in America. However, he was told that he would get to meet even more of his Uncle's friends once they got there and he was told that they were going to fly home on a flying machine called an Airplane. The whole idea of flying really got the small, excitable boy pumped up.

"Hey...You ready to go?" Terry asked from the doorway, his travel pack already on his shoulder.

His first worry was about how Naruto would get through customs, due to having no records in any country nor any ID. The Shiranui clan took care of that using a few favors from some high ranking members in the Japanese Parliament and a personal favor from the Royal Family that had been earned when Hanzou was younger. Hanzou was a bodyguard to the Emperor and saved his life when he tried to call off Japan's involvement in WWII, but members of his own military tried to kill him to keep the war going. Hanzou simply told Terry that it was worth it and as a thank you for bringing a psuedo Great grandson back to him. He was ecstatic that Renge got along with Naruto so well, that they were almost never seen apart even outside of training. Naruto had his full approval of courtship once of age, just like Andy had earned with Mai, along with Ai being very fond of the boy herself. The only drawback was that he would only be there for three months out of the year, since Terry was technically his legal guardian and lived in the U.S.

The way that things were arranged was that every summer vacation, Naruto would come back to go more in depth into his ninja training, but he would be living with Terry in the U.S. While there, Terry planned on teaching him with the help of Master Tung and the friends and acquaintances he knows in the area. At the same time, Naruto would get a basic education in the public schools there in the States, like Renge was at the academy her mother taught at. The Shiranui still had to maintain a public facade, after all. Mai had a college education with a degree in Fine Arts, as did her sister in Literature and her public job as a High School Teacher at an Academy called Mahora in the Kanto region. Andy did as well, in the Liberal Arts, while Terry only went to High School and took some night school at a Junior College here and there, getting a couple of ASE certifications. He was also teaching Naruto English, since he was going to live in a country that used it as their primary language.

"Yeah...I'm ready to go." The boy replied as he left the room with his uncle. The pair made their way out to the main gates until a small brown haired blur tackled Naruto from behind.

"Do you really have to go, Naruto-kun? I don't want you to..." Renge sniffled.

"I'm gonna be back next year, Renge-chan! And when I come back, we can play again!" Naruto told her cheerfully. He found that she clenched him even harder.

"D-Do you promise? Will you really come back?" She pleaded with him.

"'Course! I always keep my promises!" Naruto told her as they linked pinkies. She let go of him and let them go, walking down the path to the train station and then to the airport.

"Bye...Naruto-kun." She whispered, her mother overhearing her.

_'Now I KNOW she's got a crush...That boy doesn't know how lucky he really is. We Shiranui women may do seduction missions, but we are loyal to our loves beyond the grave. I have a feeling that she has chosen her love already, and at such an early age, too. Any other boy that may come calling just lost the race before it even started.'_ Ai giggled to herself as she took her daughter to pack up. They were leaving to go home, themselves. Renge was starting first grade this year as Mahora Elementary.

A thought crossed her mind, though. She doesn't want what happened to her to happen to her daughter. Her husband had died to give them a future. She hoped that Renge and her husband wouldn't have to make that painful choice.

_'Right, koishi?'_

_**TWO HOURS LATER...**_

_**KANSAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT**_

Naruto and Terry hopped off of the train for the airport and left the station to enter it. The boy was floored by how many people there were here.

"Uncle Terry? Is this another town?" He asked.

"No...This is where we take that plane I told you about and get to America. I live on the other side of the world from here and it would take over a month to get there by boat." Terry explained to him as they checked in at the ticket counter. Next was customs, where Naruto nearly belted a Customs Officer for frisking him. Terry explained that it was his first time abroad, so they let him through, along with Naruto being so young. Now, they were in the concourse, waiting for their flight to arrive at their gate. Naruto, being who he is, was hungry, so they ate at one of the food kiosks that sold pizza, of all things.

"Hey...This is that pizza stuff you told me about, right?" Naruto asked.

"Yep. That it is, little buddy. That it is..." Terry replied fondly as he savored every bite. Naruto tried a nibble and his eyes widened.

"Whoa! This is really good! Almost as good as ramen!" Naruto cheered as he wolfed down the large slice of cheese pizza.

Terry introduced his nephew to the Italian's gift to the world called pizza by getting a slice of all the combos the vendor had to offer. Terry was astonished by his appetite, eating almost as much as him. Soon, though, an announcement came over the PA system.

_**"JAL FLIGHT J356 BOUND FOR LOS ANGELES NOW BOARDING AT GATE 24B. ATTENTION...JAL FLIGHT J356 BOUND FOR LOS ANGELES NOW BOARDING AT GATE 24B."**_

"Sounds like we'd better go." Terry said as the two got onto the plane nice and full and got themselves seated, Naruto nearly bouncing as his Uncle let him have the window seat. After a few moments, the Flight Attendant got their attention.

_**"I'd like to thank you all for choosing JAL for your travel needs on this Tran-Pacific flight to Los Angeles. This flight will take at least 8 hours, so if you would please sit back and relax while we explain the safety rules on our flight..."**_ She stated as she went off on the standard instructions for pre-flights.

Naruto was seeing all of these people and different planes on the tarmac. Some were just as big and being pulled along by smaller vehicles, but a couple were much smaller, with only one person in it. Naruto asked what the smaller ones were.

"Those belong to the military for defense. They are called Fighters." He went on to explain that they belonged to the country they were headed to, their Navy to be exact _**(I was stationed there from '02-'05 in Atsugi, so I know we sometimes used civilian airports to refuel. Even back then, F/A-18's were in use. They first came into service in late 1982, early '83 with the F/A-18 Alpha's, single seaters, and Bravo's, two seaters)**_.

"Wow...They sure are fast. I wanna do that..." Naruto breathed in awe as he saw them shoot into the sky, their engines roaring behind them.

Terry chuckled at his nephew's awe struck expression. He remembered when he and Andy went through that phase, he and Andy wanted to be pilots, too, after his adoptive dad took him and Andy to Pensacola to see an airshow, just a year before Geese killed him and changed their world forever. _**(NAS Pensacola is the home base of the Blue Angels, the U.S Navy's Flight Demo Team. I was there for my Service School around 11 years ago and got to meet them in person once since the instructor for my class, AT1 Lewis, was a good friend of one of the Crew Chiefs.)**_

_'What were they called again? The Blue something...Angels! Yeah...If they have another show, I gotta take him to see it. He'd love it...'_ Terry thought, their theme song stuck in his head._**( Their unofficial theme song at the time was Dreams by Van Halen. Still is I think...)**_.

"Well...We'll see about that. Let's get ready for takeoff." Terry coaxed.

_'Heh...This child raising thing might not be too hard, after all.'_ He thought as their plane taxied for takeoff. Finally, the time came to take off, the G-Forces pushing Naruto back into the seat, but he was having the time of his life.

"Yeah! Whoo!" The boy whooped and cheered as he saw the land getting smaller and smaller until they were above the clouds at cruising altitude. An older man in a suit and glasses behind them asked them a question.

"Is this your first time flying?" He asked Naruto.

"Yeah! That was awesome! I wanna do that again!" Naruto babbled excitedly.

"Usually, kids your age hate flying. You're a brave one." The man chortled.

"Sorry if he disturbed you..." Terry apologized, but the man waved him off.

"It's quite alright. The name's Takamichi T. Takahata. How do you do?" The man introduced himself.

"I'm Terry Bogard and this is my nephew, Naruto." Terry introduced them. Through conversation, Takamichi told them he was an English teacher and Faculty Advisor at an Academy called Mahora, near Tokyo. He happened to have some teaching materials with him and let Naruto use them to entertain himself during the flight. Through it all, the man was amazed at the sharp learning curve the boy possessed, a wide open mind that wanted to learn.

_'I wish Asuna was like him when she was little...He'll end up learning English as fast as Negi learned Japanese.'_ Takamichi thought as the boy burned through his teaching books. After a couple of hours, Naruto had burned himself out and crashed, leaning against his uncle's arm. Terry chuckled and draped his jacket over the boy. Terry noticed the name of the Academy he mentioned.

_'Mahora…That's where Mai's sister works…Maybe this guy knows her.'_

"Say, do you know an Ai Shiranui? She's a High School teacher there at Mahora." Terry asked.

"Yes…I do know her, actually. Are you an aquaintence of hers?" Takamichi replied.

"Yeah. My little brother is engaged to her younger sister, Mai. She pretty much declared herself to be Naruto's Aunt. It looks like Ai's daughter has a huge crush on the little guy, here." Terry chuckled as the two made some minor small talk until they both decided to catch a quick nap.

After a few more hours, they were in Los Angeles airspace.

_**"Ladies and Gentlemen...We are now beginning our final descent into Los Angeles International Airport..."**_

Terry nudged his sleeping nephew, who'd been sleeping peacefully for a few hours now.

"Hey kiddo...We're almost there." Terry nudged him awake. Naruto stirred then shot over to the window to see the sprawling city below them, the city of Los Angeles and it's coastline. Soon, they landed, another highlight of Naruto's day, and the disembarked from the plane to catch their next flight. Terry was then struck with a realization. They had no one to pick them up from the terminal when they pulled in, he steered them towards a phone booth and called a number, giving Naruto a small handful of quarters to play in an arcade where he could see him while he made a call.

_"Hello? Who's this?"_ The voice on the other end asked.

"Hey, Mary? It's me, Terry..." He tried to answer, but she cut him off.

_"YOU JERK! YOU TAKE OFF OUT OF NOWHERE FOR MONTHS AND WORRY ME HALF TO DEATH TO GO GALLAVANTING AROUND?" _She blew up on the other end of the line, forcing him to hold the receiver away from his ear. She seemed to calm down after a few moments, allowing the ringing in his ear to go away.

_"Now...Where are you and what have you been up to?" _She asked more calmly this time.

"Well...I'm at LAX in Los Angeles, getting ready to catch a flight to Miami International. I was wondering if you could pick us up at the airport?" He asked.

_"Wait a minute..."Us"? Who do you have with you?" _She asked, a little suspicious_._

_"Didn't Yuri tell you?"_ Terry asked.

_"No...She didn't mention anything. Why?"_ Mary inquired, now more curious than suspicious.

"I'm bringing my nephew to live with me. He's only five, almost six in two months. I need to get him enrolled in school as soon as I get there." Terry replied. Mary scoffed.

_"Listen to you...Mr. Responsibility."_ She joked as she continued.

_"How did you even get a nephew, anyway? What happened to Andy?" _She asked, presuming that the child was his.

"Actually..." Terry explained the whole situation to her, including what he'd been doing for the past three months after he'd retrieved the child.

_"Oh, that's terrible...How is he? Is he alright?" _She asked with concern. Mary had a real soft spot for kids.

"Actually, he's fine. He's a resilient little guy and pretty smart, too. Mai's already attached to him and even has himself a little girlfriend, but he doesn't know that yet." Terry told her.

_"Give him a few years and he'll notice, like all boys start to do. I really want to meet him, so when does your flight land? I'll need at least an hour to attach the sidecar to my bike."_ She asked.

"Let's see...I think we'll land in Miami around 4 in the afternoon your time. We'll meet you in the baggage claim area." Terry ironed out the rest with her.

_"That's more than enough time! We could even eat while we're out. I'll pay this time in honor of the new arrival in our little circle."_ Mary suggested. Terry sighed in relief. He didn't know how much more his wallet could take.

After hanging up, he turned around to find Naruto still playing a game, or at least trying to, when a call came out.

_**"UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 776 TO MIAMI IS NOW BOARDING AT GATE 16A."**_

"That's us..." He murmured as he scooped up his nephew and bolted for the gate.

_**A FEW HOURS LATER**_

_**MIAMI, FLORIDA**_

_**DADE COUNTY**_

_**MIAMI-DADE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT**_

Terry and Naruto landed in Miami on time, but Terry learned a valuable lesson when it came to food choices for Naruto. He was offered a soda and the sugar in it was making the boy very, VERY hyper. However, being that hyper had a side effect of making him crash once again, forcing Terry to carry him off of the plane and making a few of the women go in to the _"Aww"_ effect, despite the fact that he was snoring rather loudly for a six year old.

As they made their way down to the Baggage claim area, they saw a man in a white suit with a pink shirt under it and another man in a blue suit talking a bunch of cops. They called each other Crockett and Tubbs, sped out of there, hopped into a black sports car and tore ass away from the scene.

"That was weird." Terry commented as a woman screamed near them.

_**"KEVIN!"**_ She shrieked as she passed out, waking Naruto up.

"No...THAT was weird." A voice from behind them piped up. He wheeled around to see Mary waiting there for them.

"Hey, Terry...This is him?" She asked as she introduced herself to him.

"Hey there, sweetie...My name's Mary, Mary Ryan. What's yours?" She asked him, crouched down to meet his eyes, which she found to be a beautiful shade of blue, wide with curiosity and cute little whisker marks.

_'Oh...He is so CUTE...Terry's gonna have his hands full when he gets older and gets interested in girls...But I think I'll be around to help with that, provided a certain ring is in my future.'_ She smirked as they picked up their luggage, loaded up in her motorcycle's side car, and headed back to South Town.

_**SOUTH TOWN, EAST ISLAND DISTRICT**_

_**PAO PAO CAFE**_

Naruto enjoyed the ride, especially the wind in his hair as they sped along the Interstate and down into the South Town's East Island area, where a mutual friend owned a trendy cafe and restaurant. The group pulled up to the place and parked.

"Sorry guys, but you'll have to take your stuff in. I think Richard would let you guys stash your stuff behind the counter for now." Mary suggested. The two shrugged and did as she said, following her inside the restaurant. No sooner than they entered the establishment, they ran straight into the owner of the place, Richard Meyer himself.

"Terry and Mary...Two of my favorite customers! How've you guys been?" Richard asked jovially as he let them stash they things in the coat room and guided them to a good table near a stage, seeing the boy in their company.

"So...You guys have a secret love child or something?" He teased, pointing to Naruto. Mary got flustered and indignant.

"HE'S NOT OURS!" Mary yelled.

"Easy, Mary...He was just kidding..._I hope_. Anyway..." Terry eased, explaining enough of Naruto's situation for him to understand and understand he did.

"Geez...That kid's had it rough. But, since he's still breathing, that means he's a tough kid." He surmised as he turned to Naruto, handing him a menu.

"So kid...What'll ya have?" He asked with a grin. Naruto perused the menu until he got to something REALLY liked.

"Ramen! The biggest bowl ya got, old man!" Naruto stated loud and proud, a wild eyed grin on his face as he slammed the menu down dramatically like in the cartoons he watched with Renge-chan sometimes. Richard just laughed at the boy's gusto and jotted it down.

"I like this kid, Terry! He's got guts in him! Standard for you and Mary?" He asked, to which they nodded, ordering their customary Beef Bowl for Mary and Chili Cheese Dog for Terry. As Richard got their orders, they heard music start to play on the stage near them_** (Think of the song "Paranaue". Look it up on Youtube.)**_.

"Looks like they're going to put on a show now...Good timing in coming here." Mary commented.

"A show? What kinda show?" Naruto asked, puzzled. Mary grinned and stood up, holding out her hand.

"C'mon...I'll take you up to the stage and show you!" She told him excitedly. She looked to Terry and saw that he was going to join them stage side.

The lights around the stage dimmed as drums began to sound a group of men and women jogging onto the stage and arranging themselves in a semi-circle. Almost as one, they all got into a swaying motion, like they were dancing.

"What are they doing?" Naruto asked.

"That's a fighting art known as Capoeira. It was created long ago by slaves, who trained to fight under the guise of dancing." Mary explained to the boy, who seemed completely captivated by the motions and more over by how they seemed to be having fun with it, moving to the rhythm of the music.

Suddenly, two of the dancers flipped over to the middle of the large circle from opposite ends and began to fight using large sweeping motions that seemed in time to the music, but they never hit one another, like they were trying not to. As much as that didn't make sense to the boy, he wanted to try it, too. Finally, a man and a woman this time. They weren't sparring, but putting on a show of their skills. It awed the boy as they moved in perfect unison, their kicks, punches and flips timed perfectly.

"I wanna try that..." The boy said, completely spellbound. Richard, who had come back with their food on a cart, smirked.

"You really wanna try it, kid?" He asked the small boy, who nodded so fast they thought his head would fall off. Richard strode onto the stage and got everyone's attention for a moment.

"Ladies and gentlemen! We have with us tonight a newcomer to our establishment and our town, who wants a chance to be part of what makes this place special! I give you South Town's newest son, Naruto!" Richard announced, gesturing to Naruto as the spotlights centered on him, applause and whistles filling the entire place.

"Duckie! Cue something special!" Richard called up to the D.J's booth. Duckie, better known as Duck King, complied.

"Got it, boss! One sick Capo tune for the little guy comin' up!" He cheered into the intercom as he cued the music.

Terry and Mary both nudged Naruto to go and try it out as one of the Caporiestras took him by the hand and began doing the dance again, this time with a new song, showing him what to do.

"Do what I do..." He whispered to him, Naruto getting the hint and began to sway with the music.

"Good, good! Now...Just move to the music...Feel it and just have fun..." He encouraged.

The six year old was starting to get the hang of it, using his natural _**(To others, unnatural...)**_ agility to pull off some of the moves he saw the others doing, making a few jaws drop, even Mary's.

"This kid's incredible..." She whispered.

"Yep. He's special, alright." Terry grinned proudly.

After the music ended and the other Capoeistras applauded, the boy came back to the table with a huge grin on his face, his smile able to light the whole city.

"Not bad, sonny...Not bad at all..." Richard said appraisingly as he headed off, more work to do as Naruto dug into his ramen with gusto, having worked up an appetite. Within mere moments, the bowl had been licked clean, to Mary's astonishment.

"Wha...? How?" She floundered as Terry answered.

"I dunno. It's like his metabolism's set to Light Speed, so he eats like crazy. Almost as much as me..." Terry replied. He knew that his own appetite was nothing to scoff at when he was hungry. After one particularly strenuous spar with Joe, he wolfed down a whole 20" pizza with extra toppings in under a few minutes. Andy was nearly as bad, but was more low key with it.

"Tell me about it...You almost ate me out of house and home once!" A boisterous voice called out from behind them. Standing there was a man with broom-like hair and a wide grin on his face.

"Hey, Joe!" Terry greeted enthusiastically.

"Yo, Terry! Finally back, I see!" Joe Higashi said as he noticed Naruto.

"Whoa...Who did you knock up, Terry? This kid almost looks just like you!" Joe teased. Terry just groaned, having gotten that a lot lately.

"Joe...Remember _why_ I took off?" Terry asked.

"Oh yeah...To find a lost brother of yours and Andy's...Wait a minute...This kid _is _related to you then." Joe realised.

"Yep. Joe, meet Naruto, my nephew. Naruto, meet Joe Higashi, a good friend of mine." Terry introduced the boy to one of his best friends and regular sparring partner.

Naruto looked up from what looked to be his third massive bowl of Ramen, slurping some noodles into his mouth before speaking.

"S'up, Higashi-san!" He greeted cheerfully, his fist outstretched. since his belly was full and satisfied. A full Naruto is a very cheerful one.

Joe let out a laugh and bumped fists with the small boy.

"I like this kid already, Terry! So, are you gonna train him?" Joe asked.

"Yeah. I was thinking about taking him to Master Tung and getting his blessing to teach him what I know of Hakkyokuseiken. After that, it's up in the air. Before all that can start, I need to get him enrolled in school. I think he'd be in 1st Grade right now. After the school year's over, I need to take him back to Japan to train with Mai's family as I promised." Terry surmised.

"Che...Listen to you, Mr. Responsibility all the sudden." Joe teased before another voice called out to them.

"Well, well, well…Look who's here." A voice drawled out. They whipped around to see none other than Billy Kane.

"What now?" Terry asked with an exasperated tone, standing in front of his nephew defensively out of reflex, Mary and Joe tensing.

"I just thought I'd come and meet the new member of the family, nothing hostile." Billy drawled again as he got a good look at the boy hiding behind Terry, who looked back at him with wide, curious blue eyes.

"Hey mister?" Naruto asked.

"What?" Billy replied.

"What's with that rag thingy you're wearing? Are you bald? You got scars or somethin'?" The small boy asked to his chagrin.

Billy didn't really know HOW to respond to that question. He wasn't nearly as bad as he used to be back in his days working as an enforcer for Geese. He was a self-employed guard who had a contract with the Garcia Foundation, making an honest living. He'd mellowed out quite a bit over the past couple of years. He sighed as he knelt down to the small boy, who was only a few years younger than his baby sister Lilly, and whipped off his bandanna, showing a shock of blond hair like his own, only fuzzy and not spiky.

"There. See? No scars and I'm not bald." He answered the boy in a deadpan tone.

"Aww…That was kinda boring. I was hoping you had some really gnarly scars or something like Ibiki-san." The boy pouted.

Billy shot Terry a "WTF?" look. He may not have much experience around kids, but he could have sworn that kids did NOT say things like that. He was honestly taken by surprise.

"Wha...?" Was all he could get out as Terry whispered an abridged version of Naruto's condition to him.

"Yeesh...That must been the dog's bollocks...Well, I just came to visit Duckie. Cheers." He replied as he bade them goodbye.

"Who's Duckie?" Naruto asked.

"He's the D.J. that works here and an old friend of ours." Mary replied.

"What's a D.J?" He asked.

"They mix and play music for everyone to enjoy. He was the one who played the music you danced to earlier." Terry added. Naruto just nodded as they all finished their dinner and left to pay their bill, but Richard shook his head.

"This was on the house in honor of our newest resident and for the show he put on. Maybe when you guys come back, he can meet Duckie." Richard said as he bade them farewell for the night.

Terry and Naruto grabbed their packs from behind the Coat Check desk and followed Mary out to her bike.

"See you guys around!" Joe said as he took off around the corner, bound for his apartment a few blocks down.

"Well...Hop in, boys. Next stop, the Bay Area and home." Mary announced as she revved the bike, popping it into gear and getting back onto the expressway.

_**SOUTH TOWN, BAY AREA DISTRICT**_

_**KYOKUGENRYU DOJO**_

Mary had dropped Terry and his charge off at Ryo's dojo and Sakazaki residence, hoping that the local playboy was hanging around the dojo as he was known to do.

"You sure?" Mary called out over the sound of the bike's Twin-V engine.

"Yeah. We can walk from here. My place is only a couple of blocks from here." Terry replied.

"We've gotta do this more often! Later!" She whooped as she gunned the engine and sped off out of sight, the sound of the engine attracting the people they came to see.

"Who's there?" A deep voice called out from behind the large wooden gate of the compound.

"Ryo! It's just me, Terry! I'm back!" Terry replied as the gate swung open. As it did, a young woman came barreling out. Naruto got a good look at her. She looked a little younger than Mai, but not by much, had long brown hair pulled back into a braid and was wearing a gi and work out pants, having just done her evening workout. She looked at Terry for a brief moment, but locked onto the miniature blond...And swept him up into a massive cuddle.

"He is sooo CUTE! Look at those cute little whisker marks and those big blue eyes!" Yuri tittered and giggled like mad, Ryo and Takuma sighing in exasperation but greeting Terry.

"Terry, you're finally back and I take it that the one my daughter is hugging to death is your nephew, Naruto." Takuma greeted.

"That's right. Yuri told about him, I take it?" Terry asked.

"Yeah, she told us about him. So you'd like her to babysit him every once and a while, right?" Ryo inquired.

"Yup. I figured that I need to get a job and this _"Lone Wolf"_ thing I had going is gonna need to take a back seat for a while if I'm gonna take care of a kid. I'm even enrolling him over at my old elementary school a few blocks from here." Terry replied, surprising them a bit.

"I see that you have taken the initiative on your own, Terry. That is very good. I hope that you will become a great parent, like me." Takuma replied, nodding sagely. His two children and Terry could only sweatdrop at that statement.

'_I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that…'_ The three thought at the same time as they changed the subject.

"Oh…Terry! Robert wanted to to tell you to come to the Garcia Foundation offices when you got back as see him about something." Yuri reminded him.

"That's right…I hope it's about a job. My wallet is feeling a little…empty as of late. Can I use your phone to call him really quick?" Terry muttered and asked.

"Yeah. You know where the phone is." Ryo said as Terry went inside for a few moments while Naruto asked Yuri a question.

"Hey, Yuri-neechan? All your friends are fighters right?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, they are. Why?" She asked back.

"What style do these guys and you use?" He inquired. Everyone there could have sworn Takuma's eyes lit up as he asked that.

"I am very glad you asked, child! We here at the Sakazaki dojo use Kyokugenryuu Karate..." Takuma announced as he launched into a small diatribe about it until Terry checked his watch.

"Ooh...I really need to get the little guy to bed and get things sorted out. Yuri, do you have any classes or anything tomorrow?" Terry asked.

"Lemme see..." She muttered as she opened up her schedule book to check.

"Nope. I'm free. You want me to watch the cutie there while you see what Robert wants?" Yuri asked him.

"Yeah...I don't really know how long I'll be, but I'll pay you for your troubles." Terry told her, but she refused.

"This one's on the house. C'mon, we've been neighbors since I was a little girl and you've never really asked for anything, so I can pull a solid for you once and a while." The spunky 19 year old woman winked as she turned to the boy in her arms.

"You wanna play here tomorrow, Naruto-chan?" She asked. Naruto looked excited, but looked to his Uncle first, who nodded.

"Yeah!" Naruto cheered, doing his strange but amusing happy dance.

"Great! I'll bring him by around 10 in the morning and I'll call from the front desk when I'm on my way back. By the way...He said to wear a suit and tie, but I don't have one. You guys have one I can borrow?" Terry asked sheepishly.

"I guess I have one you can borrow, since you're more my size." Takuma offered as they picked out a suit. It was a gaudy one from the 70's, a yellowish plaid color and design that made him look like a cheesy game show host or a used car salesman, but...

_'Beggars can't be choosers...'_ He sighed as he accepted the garments.

"See you tomorrow, Yuri-neechan! Bye Ryo-san, Takuma-ojisan!" The small boy chirped as the pair walked out the gates and to their home.

"Naruto-chan was just sooo cute! I can't wait for tomorrow!" Yuri gushed as she skipped into the bath merrily.

"That kid...His energy flow was powerful for such a small child." Ryo commented.

"I could also detect a dark energy within him, but he seemed like such a happy child. Maybe interacting with Yuri would be good for him, as well as channeling his energies into something positive, as Terry has been planning." Takura suggested.

"You mean...train him while Yuri babysits him? But dad...He's only six! He couldn't possibly take the harsh training you give the beginners! That's why so many quit!" Ryo protested.

"I think he can probably handle it. Hanzou of the Shiranui has already begun his training. All we really need to do is shape him physically. Besides...I think the boy would have fun with it if we make it a game for him." Takuma pointed out.

Ryo was stunned that something his father said actually made sense. He looked up as if expecting it to snow all of the sudden, but shrugged as went back to what he was doing when Terry arrived, working on his motorcycle, Takuma going back to the family room to read his paper again.

_**EDGEWATER APARTMENTS**_

Terry and Naruto finally made it to his place, a tall apartment building in a quiet neighborhood other apartment buildings, tenements, and houses. It was quiet because of the residents of said neighborhood. Even Jack Turner and his gang refused to set foot there, as well as Geese Howard and Mr. Big when they were still operating. The boxer Axel Hawk lived on that block with his mother and he was very...intolerant of troublemakers, as well as having a nasty right hook. Terry himself was another reason no gangs or rabble rousers converged on the area. Another was the Kyokugenryu dojo a couple of blocks down. Finally, Mickey Rogers lived there near his parents. While he is somewhat of a miscreant, he refuses to tolerate any trouble befalling his parents. There were other kids there around Naruto's age to play with, too, so that was a plus.

Terry led him up the steps to his place and was about to slide his key into the lock until the land lady intercepted him.

"Terrance Kelly Bogard!" He heard a shrill voice bellow out his full name _**(C'mon…You know these guys have to have an embarrassing middle name of some kind!) **_from down the hallway.

"Agh...Busted." He moaned as Naruto craned his head around Terry's leg to see who it was. It was an older lady with white hair in a tight bun, big glasses and she was brandishing a cane, waving it at his uncle.

"Where on earth have you been, young man? You can't just up and take off for months on end without paying your rent in advance, you little payaso _**(Means Clown in Spanish)**_!" She yelled and scolded his uncle like a little kid. She stopped suddenly when she saw a small boy who looked an awful lot like her tenant poke his head out.

"You went and had a love child? How irresponsible can you be?" She raved.

"Who's this, Uncle Terry?" Naruto asked. She stopped when he called him uncle.

"Wait...So he's not yours?" She asked.

"No, Mrs. Cepeda. He's my nephew and the reason why I left so suddenly. I found out where my lost elder brother wound up and left to find him, but found out that he and his wife had already died, so I took him in." Terry explained to his landlady, who backed off.

"At least you left for the right reasons and not to just go and fool around. I'm proud of you, mijo _**(Term of Endearment, means honey or dear in Spanish. C'mon...They're around Miami, so there are bound to people of Cuban descent.)**_, and he's such an adorable little boy." The older woman gushed as she pinched his whiskered cheeks.

"Ahh! Hey, that kinda hurts!" Naruto whined as she stopped.

"I'll be back by with some freshly baked cookies in a few minutes and give you boys some time to settle in." She told them cheerfully as she skipped off _**(As well as an old woman with a cane can manage…) **_down the hall and out of sight.

Terry slid onto his couch in relief. This was the second bout of female anger the child had saved him from today and his landlady was showing some kindness underneath her steel, or whatever it is, surface. He looked around his sparsely adorned apartment and got to thinking of living arrangements for his new charge. He had only one bed, but the couch was pretty comfy, so he could let Naruto have the bed until he got one for him. On top of that, they would have to get more clothes since they would be here for an extended period of time, not just the short periods he would come back and leave again. Naruto would need actual clothes, not just the ones he came from Konoha with or his Shiranui ninja outfit.

_'Sounds like a trip to Goodwill's on the agenda...At least getting stuff there won't break the bank.'_ Terry reasoned as he helped Naruto unpack, getting himself unpacked in the process. After getting Naruto settled into bed, Mrs. Cepeda stopped by again. The old Cuban woman shushed herself when he told her Naruto had conked right out.

"Oh...I'll leave them with you, so don't eat them all! Good night, Terry!" She called out in a hushed tone as she left for the night and to get her husband, Arturo, to do the nightly rounds.

Terry took the plate of Chocolate chip cookies, his favorite, and nabbed a cookie for himself before setting the platter on the counter in his kitchen. He winced as he thought of the fact that he had nothing in the cupboards for breakfast in the morning.

"Agh...I'm such an idiot. I forgot to pick stuff up at the grocers before we got home. Oh well, we can do it in the morning before we head off to Yuri's place." He mused to himself as he eased onto the couch and into sleep. This has been a very, VERY, long day, but the first of many more to come.

_**A/N: Whew...Done with this chapter. I hope that i didn't disappoint anyone with this. I wanted to show that these people don't always fight. There is another side to every story that almost never gets told, but that is what shapes their everyday lies and who they are as people. Also, these people all live in Southtown, so it's not unlikely that they will intermingle. In this fic, I haven't decided on what to do about Rock Howard, so an suggestions would be welcome. There is also the situation with Bily Kane and the fact that I made him more...Mellow and personable. Should I have Lilly Kane interacting with Naruto, as well? There is also King, whom I have yet to introduce and how Duckie will take to the tiny Jinchuuriki. Also, Yuri seems to have taken a shine to Naruto and her brother and father have sensed the Kyuubi within Naruto, but don't know what it is yet. Do you think he should interact with others like himself, like Leona and Iori, and be helped by Chizuru Kagura?**_

_**Also, I again added another Negima reference, but don't expect much in those regards. I gave Naruto a little crush in the way of Mai's niece, Renge. She and her mother are OC's that I made up to give Mai a little extra family and I'm thinking about having them related through marriage to a particular clan *Cough*Shinmeiryu!*Cough*, but Again, some feedback would be nice. I hope everyone is mature enough to not be offended by use of the Cuban landlady. It's simply a fact that there is a heavy Cuban cultural influence around the Miami area, like Little Havana. I had a neighbor when I was growing up who was an old Cuban lady and her husband, and that was what gave me the idea.**_

_**Again...Suggestions would be very helpful and welcome.**_

_****Notice****_

_**Had some problems with the upload and a small snippet was left out. I fixed the problem.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Not much to say other than start the fic!**_

_**EDGEWATER APARTMENTS**_

Sunlight filtered in the window of the small apartment that was located in South Town's Bay Area. A tall blond man stirred on the couch he was sleeping, sitting up slowly with a light groan. Wiping the "Sleepies" out of his eyes, he glanced over at a clock on the wall of the kitchen, curious of the time.

"Huh...About 8 in the morning...At least we got time to get some chow." Terry mumbled as he went to the bedroom to check on his nephew.

Once he opened the door, he saw the child sitting at the window, taking in his new surroundings with a certain amount of awe. That was understandable since his home had nothing like this. He was currently looking down at some of the neighborhood kids playing in the streets, some adults running about and running errands, the normal everyday bustle of life in the city.

"Morning, kiddo." Terry called out from the doorway, making Naruto turn around.

"Morning, Uncle Terry! What's for breakfast?" Naruto chirped.

"Well...I don't really have anything to eat here, so we'll have to go out and get something before getting started today." Terry sighed as he checked his account statement. He'd had a hefty sum saved up and staying with the Shiranui had actually helped him save some money. He'd have enough to support his new nephew for a bit, but still needed the job. His old vagabond ways were grinding to a halt as he had new responsibilities that would keep him here and he needed a job.

_'I hope that's what Robert has in mind...'_ Terry thought as they got dressed for the day, Naruto into a pair of shorts and an orange shirt with a Konoha mark on it while Terry...Well, he put on Takuma's old suit and prayed that the embarrassing comments would die down in a week.

"Alright, kiddo. Time to move out." He called out to his young charge who followed him out the door. Once they locked the door and headed toward the stairs, Mrs. Cepeda saw them and stopped them.

"Morning boys!" She called out.

"Hi!" Naruto chirped in greeting.

"Morning, Mrs. Cepeda." Terry yawned out.

"Where are you boys off to today?" She asked.

"We're going to go get some breakfast, then I have to go to an interview." Terry explained.

"Breakfast? I just made some Chorizo and Eggs. Arturo already had some and we have extra, so come and have some before you two go out." She insisted. She may be Cuban, but her husband was from Mexico, so she learned to cook his favorites, Chorizo being one of them. _**(Chorizo and eggs are one of my all time favorite breakfasts. Ate it all the time growing up and I still love it today!)**_

"W-we couldn't impose..." Terry declined weakly. Her sudden nurturing was beginning to spook him a bit. He was tempted to say _"Who are you and what have you done with the land lady?"_, but that would have been ill advised.

"It's better than wasting your money on a restaurant, my boy. Now, come inside for a moment." She instructed. They stepped inside the apartment, Terry acting like he was entering the Temple of Doom. Naruto just shrugged and followed his uncle inside, seeing an old man who he believed was the nice old lady's husband, reading a newpaper.

"Morning, mijo! Come on in." The old man welcomed in a raspy voice, reminding Naruto of old man Hokage for some reason. _**(My Grandpa Richard talked just like that. He's who I'm basing him on.)**_ The old man walked up to a pan that had food in it and poured it out into two flat disks and wrapped them up.

"Mijo, you want some hot sauce with yours?" Arturo asked.

"Yeah, actually. That Tapatio is pretty good." Terry replied. _**(Tapatio is my all time favorite hot sauce. I really love it on Mac n' Cheese!)**_

"What's this?" Naruto asked, never having saw food like this before. Terry explained it to him as best he could.

"You see, these are called burritos. This wrapping is called a tortilla, the meat is called Chorizo and it's mixed with scrambled eggs. Go on, take a good bite." Terry encouraged. Naruto did and a slightly spicy flavor let itself be known. The small boy suddenly tore into his burrito with gusto and finished in a jaw dropping 5 seconds.

"That was really good!" Naruto sighed, a fox-like expression gracing his features. Mrs. Cepeda simply chalked it up to a healthy appetite and fixed him and his uncle another one, Naruto wanting some of the sauce his uncle had on his but asked what it was.

"It's hot sauce. It gives food an added kick." Terry told him as he tried it. Surprizingly, Naruto loved it. The pair looked at the clock and had to get going. A moment later saw them out of the building and down on the streets, happily munching on their food as they walked along and Terry blissfully forgetting the fashion atrocity that he was currently wearing...Until he got to the dojo.

_**SAKAZAKI DOJO**_

Upon arriving at the dojo, they found the gate to be open and entered the compound, being met by Yuri. She saw the suit that her dad had lent him and snickered a bit at first. That snicker grew into a chuckle, then into full blown gut busting laughing.

"Gahahahahaha! Y-you look like a prom date reject! All you need are the dorky glasses!" Yuri continued to guffaw and carry on until Terry's ride to the Garcia Building, Mary.

"S-so what's the grand prize this week?" Mary laughed, getting even louder at the fact that Terry was grimacing wihle blushing with embarrassment.

"Yeah, yeah...Laugh it up." He grumbled as he turned to his nephew.

"I'd better get going, kiddo. Be good and listen to Yuri, okay?" He told his nephew, who nodded.

"'Kay, Uncle Terry!" He chirped as he sped off into the compound but not before Mary snagged him by the collar of his shirt.

"Ahem! Forgetting to say something to someone, little man?" The blond woman asked, an eyebrow raised. The small boy gave her a sheepish grin.

"Heh heh...Sorry 'bout that!" He replied as he gave her a quick hug.

"I'll see you later, Mary! Uncle Terry!" Naruto said as he a Yuri walked back into the compound, Mary and Terry taking off for Garcia Tower.

"So Naruto-kun...What do you want to do today?" Yuri asked the smiling boy, who thought for a moment.

"What's to do around here?" Naruto asked. Yuri was about to answer him when a voice came from over the wall.

"Yuri Sakazaki! I challenge you!" A female voice called out, making Yuri groan.

"Aw man...Not _her_ again..." Yuri moaned as the door swung open to reveal a young woman dressed like some of those dignitaries he saw visiting jiji once.

"Kasumi...Why are you challenging me _again_? Don't you get tired of doing this nearly every week?" Yuri sighed in exasperation.

"No! I will never stop until my father's honor is avenged!" The young woman cried.

Meet Kasumi Tohdo, 16 years old, the daughter of Ryuhaku Tohdo and the successor to his fighting style. A couple of years ago, back when Mr. Big was still running around unchecked, Yuri's elder brother Ryo kicked her father's ass in a fair fight while he was looking for her. Kasumi, who was only 13 at the time, swore vengence against the Sakazaki family and the Ryokugen school. To this end, she had been constantly challenging Yuri to duels since Ryo had proven too much for her to handle. That little decision hadn't really changed things since Yuri, while not nearly as strong physically as her brother, she was much faster and limber, able to squirm her way out of nearly every hold she tried and being beaten soundly. However, she hadn't given up, much to her father's pride and mother's irritation.

The young woman advanced into the compound, but saw a small boy that she assumed was a student there at the dojo. He walked up to her and got her attention.

"Why do you wanna fight Yuri-neechan so much?" Naruto asked innocently, his bright blue eyes wide with innocence and nearly overloading what nearly every female has, the _"Kawaii Factor"_, without much effort.

_'Aww...So cute! WAIT! Focus, Kasumi! But...So cute...'_ Kasumi warred within herself, making it look as if her mind had taken a vacation. Suddenly a dopey grin spread on her face as she snapped the boy up into a cuddle.

"H-hey! N-nee-chan? Help!" Naruto yelped in surprize to Yuri, who sighed in relief that she wouldn't have to deal with another challenge right now, not in the middle of babysitting. The three of the settled for playing games with the small boy, Kasumi completely forgetting why she had come there for hours.

Unknown to the two girls at the child, there was another who had a grudge against the Sakazaki family, but his vendetta could only be resolve with bloodshed. Eiji Kisaragi has had a long standing grudge against the Kyokugen style, one of the only styles he had yet to surpass. He once challenged Ryo Sakazaki, but got his ass handed to him. That rivalry slowly turned into a grudge, then into an obsession. Eventually, he resolved that the only way for his honor to be absolved was for blood to be shed and he wasn't particularly choosy as to who's blood was spilled, as long as it was a Sakazaki that fell. His ninja clan wanted no part of his lust for vengence, so he left them, becomeing a Nuke-nin in the process. He had waited until those who would come to their aid had left, then the two elder residents left the house earlier that day, Ryo to pick up some custom parts for his motorcycle and Takuma for some ingredients that he could only find in the Little Tokyo area, leaving only Yuri with a small child. The arrival of the other girl was inconsequential, as was the boy. He now chose this time to strike.

Yuri's senses kicked in just in time to avoid a blow that could have cleaved her head from her neck. She turned to see her attacker and to her horror, Eiji Kisaragi had come for blood. She turned to Kasumi.

"Take the boy and run!" She yelled to her rival as she prepared to fight him alone.

Kasumi was stunned by what just happened, but the boy in her arms was stuggling to go to her aid.

"Yuri-neechan! Let me go! I gotta help Yuri-neechan!" Naruto yelled and squirmed.

"GO! GET OUT OF HERE!" Yuri yelled again, dodging another few blows while trying to fend him off long enough for either her brother or father to show up, or even Terry or Mary, anybody.

Kasumi gave her a hesitant nod and tried to take the boy and run, but Eiji saw her and darted off to intercept them.

"No witnesses." He said, delivering a slashing blow to her neck that knocked her for a loop and she let go of Naruto. The boy quickly sprang up and tried to attack the man in vain. Come on...He's only six and hasn't really trained a whole lot yet. While he was less that amused with the child trying to attack him, he could feel a powerful presense within the boy.

_'That pressure...Chakra? But how and why in a child so young?' _He wondered until a foot connected with his temple during his lapse in concentration. The boy had scored a lucky strike that had considerable force to it, knocking his head to the side. His amusement died as he grabbed the child and flung him into the nearby wall, nearly knocking him unconscious as he continued his assualt on Yuri.

"YOU BASTARD! HE'S ONLY A CHILD!" Yuri roared in fury as she stepped up her game. Her strikes came at an even faster pace, scoring several hits as she decided it was time to drop him, HARD. She backed off to get some room and gathered her energy for one big attack.

_**HAOH SHOU KOUKEN!**_

The massive energy blast screamed along it's path toward it's target, but he regained his senses just in time to dodge it.

"No..." The now completely exhausted Yuri whispered, horrified at the thought of not only herself, but Kasumi and Naruto being at this maniac's non-existant mercy.

"Impressive...But now you die." He hissed, drawing his twin daggers to do just that...But he suddenly felt a wave of pure dread and malice wash over him so powerful, he had to fight back the urge to vomit. It was so focused and strong, that he looked around wildly for the source only to see the small boy he had hurt stand up slowly with a blood red aura surrounding him, a pair of crimson tails swaying behind him angrily. The boy looked at him, his blue eyes replaced with demonic, slitted crimson. His whisker marks were now deep and jagged, his canines and nails now looking like the fangs and claws of a wild beast.

The ninja was rooted where he was standing in sheer terror. He had read and heard old legends of powerful, maelvolent spirits and demon, particularly Kitsune, but he had never seen one, believeing them only to be stories told to frighten children. Now, he was seeing that these terrifying legends were true and that this boy was likely one of those powerful demons. If not that, then he was a vessel or posessed by a particularly nasty one and the boy's rage brought the demon out.

_**"You hurt Yuri-neechan and Kasumi-san...I'll KILL YOU!"**_ The boy snarled in a creepy double voice, a bestial, unholy roar that shook the ninja to his very soul ripping through the air as the boy disappeared in a flash.

He re-appeared as his small fist connected with his stomach with un-real force, more punishing blows following it.

_'Th-this boy...What is he? He cannot be human!'_ Eiji thought frantically as he was getting the daylights beaten out of him by a Naruto in a Kyuubi induced rage. Soon, the boy had him pinned down and continued to pummel him into oblivion until he missed and gave Eiji a chance to counter, driving one of his blades into the boy's stomach to Yuri's increased horror.

"NO! NARUTO!" Yuri screamed, as she tried to stand and help him, but she was simply too spent to move. Kasumi had stirred and awoke, but only found herself rooted to her spot in terror.

To Eiji's horror, the boy stood up with the dagger still inside of him, his demonic glare leveled in his direction. He quickly decided that he should cut his losses and retreat, but unfortunately for him, the two male Sakazaki's felt the pulse of dark energy and came running, not that they were very far from the dojo and already on their way back.

"EIJI!" Ryo roared as he launched himself at the man, only for him to throw down a smoke pellet and make his escape.

The Kyuubified Naruto now turned his sights on Ryo and Takuma, on all fours and crouched defensively in front of Yuri and the downed Kasumi, still snarling like a wild beast and with the dagger still embedded within him. Yuri regained enough of her energy to move and moved to stop Naruto from ripping her family to shreds. As soon as she tried to embrace him, his chakra shroud began to burn her skin on contact. That still didn't stop her from trying to bring him back.

"Naruto-chan...Calm down...He's gone and you protected me...Please...Come back..." She sobbed. Slowly, the corrosive energy died down and left him, the boy dropping like a puppet with it's strings cut and his wound now starting to bleed quickly. Takuma snapped out of his daze to call for an ambulance while Ryo and Yuri tried to stem the bleeding and keep the child from bleeding out.

After a few moments, Terry and Mary rounded the corner and saw that part of the wall had be destroyed, and ambulance already there and parked outside. Fearing the worst, they sped toward the Sakazaki dojo as their fears were confirmed, the paramedics already on scene. They saw Naruto, Terry's young nephew, on a gurney with a ninja knife sticking out of his gut while the paramedics were doing everything they could to keep the boy alive.

"Yuri! What happened?" Terry yelled.

Yuri filled him in on what happened, Eiji attacking and Naruto snapping, turning into some sort of demonic beserker, but actively tried to protect her. Getting the gist of it, Terry rode in the ambulance while Mary and Yuri followed on her bike, Takuma and Ryo talking to the police. Now, a citywide APB was out on Eiji Kisaragi for attempted murder of a child, something that wouldn't really endear him to the criminal underbelly of the city. He wouldn't have anywhere to run. If Terry ever got his hands on him, he was a dead man. That's not even the end of the now criminal ninja's problems. Once word of the attack got out to the Shiranui, he would be hunted the world over. Mai wouldn't leave enough for a coroner to identify species, let alone who it was.

On the way to the hospital, Terry mused on all that had happened today.

_'And I managed to land that security guard job, too. I hope the kid pulls through...Man...What else could happen today?'_ He thought.

_**ONE MONTH AGO BACK IN KONOHA...**_

Sarutobi was busy relaxing in his office after going over some paper work when he thought back on what happened since Naruto left. It was discovered that the Uchiha were plotting against him. In the end, he managed to talk down the Uchiha Clan Council, who were plotting to overthrow the village and take it over for themselves. In a rare show of humility, Fugaku Uchiha came forward about this plot and sought to work things out. His show of humility and good sense went over well with the civilian population and the shinobi council, but the Clan council was in hot water once the instigators of the plot were uncovered. At least two thirds of the clan council had been carted off to prison but while they were interrogated, they implicated a few civilian council members as being accomplices in return for positions in the new Uchiha run government, along with Danzou providing state secrets to them as well as unknown but potentially hostile third parties in return for an advisory position and financial support.

A team of loyal Uchiha ANBU were quickly organised to investigate this lead in a show of good faith, with Itachi Uchiha leading them. The gamble paid off handsomly as results of the investigation were indeed eye opening, since they had found that there were some Uchiha that had gone missing wind up on Orochimaru's test slabs by way of Danzou abducting them, along with several members of other clans along with genetic samples from the first two Kages. They had also uncovered a massive sub-terrainian complex deep below the village with tunnels that ran for miles and that Danzou had a sizable force hidden away under the guise of a personal security detactment.

Once Sarutobi read through the report, he had enough evidence to finally uproot the phantom ROOT program. This became an all hands on deck affair, the aging Kage even calling back his two remaining students to help with this. Tsunade was especially interested in taking the old warmonger down, since included in the reports were notes that Danzou had her brother killed for genetic material and her lover killed because he had been sniffing around Danzou's little private army, trying to uncover the truth behind ROOT. Jiraiya came because he had had enough of Danzou's meddling in other countries affiars and having to clean up his messes before they tried to get some sort of retribution. Sarutobi had also found evidence of Danzou being directly responsible for the death of Kimi Shiranui, the younger sister of Hanzou Shiranui. He had used her as a human shield against a Kiri nin he was fighting and got her killed, leaving the body behind. The thing that alarmed him the most was that he was planning on sending teams to find Terry, kill him and anyone around him, and drag Naruto back to Danzou to become his personal weapon.

The operation started out as shock and awe, waves of shinobi storming the underground complex before Danzou even knew they had gotten inside. He tried to activate his traps and demo charges, but they had been disabled by teams of Inuzuka and Aburame sweepers. Since the tunnels had been mapped out, they were able to cut off any avenue of escape. Many of the ROOT shinobi that had been fully indoctrinated were either killed in combat or they killed themselves to avoid capture. As they pressed on, the found holding cells that had children as young as three years old in them, most likely the newest cadidates for ROOT. Upon later investigations, they were found to be taken from other countries and from their own orphanage, the matron doing under the table deals with Danzou, fresh bodies for quick cash. She was promptly arrested and publicly executed along side Danzou and the supporters that hadn't cooperated.

After the fallout of that explosive incident, Jiraiya and Tsunade were both enjoying a casual drink at a bar when they came across a peculiar subject.

"Heh...So, how's Minato's brat? Growing like a little weed?" Jiraiya joked, but the look on Tsunade's face told an entirely different story.

"W-what do you mean? I thought he was with you!" She yelled.

"That's what I thought about you!" Jiraiya returned. They both thought something at the same time.

"That old monkey's got some explaining to do!" They bellowed out as they left the bar in a hurry.

_**HOKAGE'S OFFICE**_

Sarutobi was enjoying a nice quiet cup of tea in his office with some of his choice reading _**(Icha Icha...)**_ when he heard a squabble outside of his office that sounded an awful lot like Tsunade berating his secretary while she sat there petrified in mortal terror, Shizune trying to calm her down.

_"Lemme in to see that old monkey! NOW!"_ Tsunade bellowed, actually making his doors move slightly.

_"Lady Tsunade! Calm down or I'll cut you off from sake!" _Shizune threatened.

_"Move, Shizune. The old man owes us an explanation and I won't leave here until I get one."_ Jiraiya ordered the young woman to move in a tone that almost made Sarutobi himself flinch.

He sighed as he cued his intercomm to his secretary.

"Let them in." He said, the doors opening. Once the doors opened, the two infuriated Sannin stormed into the office, leaving a fuming Shizune behind, bombarding him with questions. After a moment of letting them scream themselves hoarse, he cleared his throat.

"Are you quite finished?" He asked, non-plussed.

"Damn you old man! Where is he?" Tsunade asked.

"Who?" Sarutobi replied, raising a wrinkled eyebrow.

"Don't play dumb with us, old man! Where is our Godson?" Jiraiya yelled, his palms smacking the desk.

"Oh...Naruto. He isn't here anymore." Sarutobi answered simply.

"WHAT?" They both screamed.

"Relax...He is in good hands." Sarutobi ensured, but having a good inward chuckle at the expense of his former students.

"Whose hands are those?" Tsunade bellowed.

"His uncle's, that's who." Sarutobi answered dryly. The office got so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.

"Uncle? Minato didn't have any siblings, old man! Are you going senile or are smoking something that's not on the up and up in that pipe?" Jiraiya yelled.

"You're right...to an extent. Do you know of the lands beyond the Veil?" Hiruzen asked.

"Well...Yeah. I've heard of them, but only rumors and stories in some of the port towns. What's this got to do with the gaki?" Tsunade asked impatiently.

"That is where young Naruto-kun is now, living with his Uncle. Before you say anything, Rin did a full lab battery on DNA similarities and found them to be a complete match for both Naruto and Minato. As it turns out, Minato was originally from beyond the Veil. Shuzen Namikaze found him washed up in Wave Country and took him in as his own son. Terry, Naruto's uncle, gave me this picture to prove it." Hiruzen informed them, handing them the picture.

The picture showed three blond boys, the eldest of which had that unmistakable spiky blond hair, standing next to two younger boys. On the reverse side, there were three names: Terry, age 6. Andy, age 5. David, age 8.

"What? That's...crazy..." Jiraiya gasped.

"I know that this is hard to accept, but it's true. Terry somehow found out about where his missing elder brother had gone and sought him out, seeking to piece together what family he had left aside from his younger brother." Sarutobi told his two students as he filled them in one what went down during the time he was in the village. After that, they had to agree that going with him was the best choice that could be made at the time. Naruto was a prime target for Danzou and this Terry taking him with him kept Naruto out of his reach. Jiraiya and Tsunade painfully admitted that they had been delinquent in their duties as Godparents, but they at least wanted to meet the boy.

"You know how we can reach this guy or even where he lives?" Jiraiya asked.

"Actually...I do. He left an address with me, since he promised to bring him back to take his Genin Exam and one Chuunin Exam." Hiruzen informed them.

"Well...That's a start, but where can we find a boat that will take us over there?" Tsunade inquired.

"I can arrange that for you. It will involve going into Water Country to catch the boat in a month's time. Now...Are you sure you want to go over there? It is a completely different world out there and you will have to adapt to survive in it. Once you get there, you are on your own." Hiruzen asked of them. They were resolute. They wanted to make the journey.

"Okay then. Make your preperations and meet me at the gates in two hours." Sarutobi instructed, the two of them leaving the office and grabbing Shizune in the process.

"Shizune...We need to consolidate our funds and drop Tonton off with the Inuzukas. We're going on another trip." Tsunade told her student.

"W-What? Again?" Shizune whined lightly, Tonton oinking out a whine of her own.

"Yes...We're going to see my Godson beyond the Veil." Tsunade declared.

"Wh-what? Beyond...the Veil?" Shizune squeaked, but her next reaction blew Tsunade out of the water.

"AAIIEE! I can't wait! I've heard so much about it and I've always wanted to see it! Let's go!" Shizune almost demanded, her tone suddenly perky and peppy as she cheerfully dragged her mistress down to the bank.

"Wow...Never seen her THAT excited before..." Jiraiya mused, but shook it off. He then pulled out a magazine that he got from a sailor in exchange for a couple of autographed Icha Icha books that said,_ "Playboy"_ on the cover, and his pervy-ness went through the roof.

"He he he...I can go to where these little beauties flow like water...Kami bless that little gaki for leading me to the promised land!" Jiraiya hooted with disturbing glee, skipping down the road to draw out his funds from the bank.

Sarutobi, up in his office, was drafting out a letter for them to give to Hanzou Shiranui. For one, it was to relay the findings of what Danzou had done and the second was a favor to help her two students out when they arrive there at the Shiranui compound. Hanzou had sent out a communique with directions to get there should Sarutobi ever want to visit. With the situation with the Council now under control...Maybe...

"Ah, screw it. I'm going, too." Sarutobi huffed, drafting a quick notice for the SHINOBI council to take over in his place until his return, citing diplomatic concerns as he reason for leaving. He also levied a control into the clause, that no new laws may be passed until he himself sees it first and he stamps it.

It didn't take long for his two old teammates to come in and protest this decision.

"Hiruzen! What are you doing? The Hokage can't just up and leave!" Homura complained.

"Where are you even going?" Koharu asked in a much more calm voice.

"Beyond the Veil. I have business to attend to there. I'll be back inside a few months." Sarutobi informed them of what was going to happen and who he placed in charge. The pair sighed and relented.

"Fine...We accept this. Just promise to return at the specified time." Koharu sighed as she and Homura left the office.

With that, Sarutobi threw off the Kage robes and dressed the part of an ordinary civilian, looking just like an ordinary old fart instead of the god of shinobi with a sigh of relief. _**(Just think of how Tazuna was dressed...Like that.)**_

"I got that wanderlust..." He hummed to himself as he trashed the communique to Hanzou and jauntly walked out the door to begin his impromptu vacation, heaving a bindle over his shoulder.

_**KONOHA MAIN GATES**_

Jiraiya, Tsunade and Shizune were all waiting the the village main gates for their sensei to arrive , when they spotted an old man with a straw hat and old sandals walk toward them. The old man came closer and closer until he reached them and spoke.

"So...Are you ready to go?" The old man asked.

"Who...are you?" Tsunade asked, confused as to why this old man was even talking to her until he lifted his head.

"Sensei? What's going on?" Tsuande asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I'd like to go, too. I'm almost 50 years overdue for a vacation and I can't let this opportunity pass me up." Sarutobi shrugged.

"But...What about the village?" Shizune asked.

"I left the Shinobi council in charge, but I left a few provisions just in case. On top of that, my kids are adults, Biwako-chan is gone, and Danzou is dead, so things have been taken care of. Besides, I haven't lived this long for nothing, you know." Sarutobi replied turning to the open road.

"Come on...Let's get going." He told the rest of them, getting them moving on their way to catch the boat.

_**KYOTO, JAPAN THREE WEEKS LATER**_

A good three weeks of traveling had been spent and gone, but you know...Something of interest doesn't always happen enroute, right? Anyway, upon pulling into the secret berth in Kyoto, all four passengers got off and stretched out, changed their Ryou into Yen, looking around at their surroundings.

"Things don't look all that different than from the Elemental Nations." Shizune appraised as they walked off and into the city. Suddenly, a car came around the corner and nearly hit her.

"W-what was that?" She gasped, trying to calm her racing heart.

"Ahh...I believe I've heard of those contraptions before. They are called automobiles." Sarutobi told the rest of them.

They all knew that the technology of the Other World was far more advanced, but this was pushing the limits of their beliefs. They also knew that they had to be careful here, since they had to maintain secrecy at all costs...but the only two of the group that could even remotely pass as somewhat normal if not very old fashioned were Hiruzen and Shizune. They needed new clothes and fast! They were thankful that they could still read the language...for the most part, and found a clothing store. After trying on several pairs of clothes with added difficulty from Tsunade's incredible bust, they were ready to face the world. Sarutobi went for a business look with a fedora like hat and walking stick, and a scarf since the season was turning cold according to the sales lady. Jiraiya opted a more casual look, going for a pair of jeans, shirt, jacket and regular shoes. Shizune saw what most young women her age were wearing and opted for it, wearing jeans as well as a trendy shirt, jacket, and a pair of high-top sneakers and sunglasses. Tsunade had to admit that Shizune had the right idea , so she followed her students lead.

All in all, Sarutobi looked like a dapper old man out of a Noir movie _**(Think Chief Aramaki from Ghost in the Shell.)**_, Jiraiya looked like the Age Police needed calling, but Shizune and Tsunade fit right in, if not drawing a few admiring looks. They all paid for they clothes and looked around for somewhere to eat before they headed to the Shiranui compound, filling up on some sushi. Once they ate, they piled out of the restaurant and back into the streets only for Sarutobi to bump into a couple of thugs types.

"Oi...Old man! Whatcha' gots 'ta say 'ta my boss here? We're two of the head honchos for the Onibaku Gang, so show some respect!" The tall man with a pompadour-looking hairstyle yelled. His students were about to make these two non-existant, but Sarutobi halted them with a chuckle. He tipped the brim of his fedora low over his eyes.

"Now, now boys...There is no harm done and all of your limbs are intact." Sarutobi told him with the same chuckle.

"You senile or sumthin' old man? Aniki's gonna break you in half!" The man yelled again. This only caused Sarutobi to laugh lightly as he tipped up the brim of his hat to gaze into their eyes, his Killer Intent blazing and focused.

"Now...I'm sure that you nice boys have better things to do than bother an old man, don't you?" Sarutobi inquired of them in a calm voice that masked hidden intent, making the two thugs go stark white with terror. The pair then took off as if the devil himself was at their heels.

"Ahh...That was a productive chat." Sarutobi sighed as they continued on their way.

The train itself was a bit of a misadventure. You see, for those who have never been to Japan, I will fill you in. In some cases, there are men known as _chikan_, or perverts, on the crowded trains and it doesn't take a genius to figure out what they do on those crowded trains with attractive women, especially young women like Shizune and how Tsunade appears. If you put together gutsy perverts and Tsunade's explosive temper, a trip to the E.R for the pervert isn't far behind, which is what happened. She caught the guy feeling up on Shizune and herself at the same time, so she crushed his hands and feet, and chucked him off of the train when it reached one of the stops, getting some cheers from the women on the train and the men couldn't look at her without cringing.

_'Humph...Such amatuers...I'm almost insulted!'_ Jiraiya thought. He was a self-proclaimed super-pervert, but he was also much smarter about how he got his jollies, as was Sarutobi.

The group finally made to the forests that outlined Kyoto, where they could travel in , in their minds, a more conventional method without being spotted, Tree Running. Even in their new clothes, it wasn't hard to do. After a few minutes of traveling by tree running, Shizune nearly got clipped by a kunai as she skillfully avoided it, all of the hitting the ground at the same time as three other ninja. Before Jiraiya and Tsuande could attack, Sarutobi halted them.

"We would like to speak with Lord Hanzou. I am Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure and I am here in regards to the welfare of one Naruto Uzumaki, whose ninja training I have entrusted to your clan's care." Hiruzen declared diplomatically.

"I see...We will take you to see him." The lead ninja, a male around Kakashi's age, told them as the Konoha delegation followed them to the compound.

_**SHIRANUI COMPOUND**_

On the way to the compound, Jiraiya was not to subtly admiring the Blur uniform of the Shiranui kunoichi with a huge, dopey grin on his face that Tsunade was almost ready to rip of and wear on Halloween.

_'He he he...I said it before, but I'll say it again...Kami bless Minato and Kushina for making that glorious little brat! What I wouldn't GIVE to see Tsunade wearing one of those!'_ Jiraiya cackled in his head. Sarutobi was also _very_ appreciative of the uniforms, but he was more low key about it.

_'Hanzou certainly has good taste...'_ The old Kage thought as they were being led through the compound to the meeting room and sat down. After a few moments, the doors slid open again and an old man equally as ancient as Sarutobi entered.

"Hiruzen...It's been over 50 years since we have seen one another...Not since after Tobirama-sama died and you were declared Hokage." Hanzou said, his tone of voice even.

"Wait a second...You were a Konoha Shinobi?" Tsunade asked, befuddled by this.

"...Yes. I was at one point. I left there just after the First Shinobi War...When my sister was killed." Hanzou answered sourly.

"About that, Hanzou...There has been a series of events back in the village which I believe you should know about..." Hiruzen said as he told Hanzou about everything that had happened since Naruto had come to them.

Hanzou was shocked that the Uchiha Council was brazen enough to attempt a coup d'état, much like Madara had tried to do, but was glad that the current clan head was a senseible man and in so doing, spared his clan. Next, came the situation with Danzou Shimura. He was appalled by all that he had dared to do and was glad that he was disposed of. Danzou was consumed with jealousy when Hiruzen was chosen to become the Sandaime Hokage and fell onto and very dark path that had him dealing with traitors and undermining the village for his own gain. Then...came what he learned about his sister, Kiko.

"That bastard Danzou...He was the one who had her killed?" Hanzou inquired.

"Yes. He was the one who did it. He kept very thourogh journals of all he had done and this is just one of many things he had done." Sarutobi confirmed.

"Don't feel too bad...He had my brother and Fiancee killed for personal gain." Tsunade growled.

"Yes...That terrible man took my Uncle Dan from me, because he had found out about his shady dealings with our enemies." Shizune scowled.

"I see...So we have all been avenged with the spilling of his blood. I can finally put this behind me." Hanzou sighed with relief.

"I see that your family has flourished here, my old friend." Sarutobi grinned.

"Ah yes...My family has grown, blessed by this country and her people." Hanzou told them as he explained how he came into the graces of the Royal Family of Japan, starting back when he saved Emperor Hirohito. From then on, the Shiranui ninja were the swords and shields of the Royal Family, given their land in Kyoto as a personal gift from Hirohito himself. They also did freelance work away form the public eye and sometimes trained the SAT members of the Japanese Special Forces in hand to hand combat. He even took a bride from another distinguished ninja family, the Tenshin, and have maintained strong relations with them ever since, along with several other families. Many of them were prominent martial arts families as well as having other specialties, such as the Urashima, the Aoyama of the Shinmeiryuu, and a score of others that were scattered the world over. As he was talking, one of those granddaughters showed up.

"Jii-sama? You have guests?" Mai asked, poking her head into the room a blond haired man following her.

"Ah! Hiruzen...This is my granddaugher, Mai, and her fiancee Andrew Bogard. She had already taken a shine to the child and Andrew is the younger brother of Terrance." Hanzou introduced.

"Ah...I really wish he'd use the shorter version of our names..." Andy groused.

"Hi there! My name is Mai Shiranui!" Mai said with a perky voice, her breasts jiggling slightly and grabbing Jiraiya's attention, but Tsunade's grabbing Andy's slightly.

_'Holy Hell...Her boobs are as big as Tsunade's/Mai's! _Jiraiya and Andy thought and the same time thought.

"From my right are my two remaining students. The one with the long white hair is Jiraiya, the Toad Sage. Next to him is his teammate, Tsunade Senju. Finally, this is Shizune Katou, Tsunade's apprentice and the niece of Tsunade's fiancee." Hiruzen introduced on his side.

"Ahh...So you are the granddaughter of Hashirama-sama and Mito-sama, are you not? You have her eyes." Hanzou revealed.

"You...knew my grandmother?" Tsunade gasped.

"Yes...I was also one of the very few who knew of what she carried within her, the Kyuubi." Hanzou clairfied, making her fist clench involuntarily.

"I was also a friend of your father, Kyouhaku, as well as his teammate." Hanzou told her. Tsunade was blown away by all that had been revealed to her. She recovered and remembered the reason whay they came here in the first place.

"So...Mai-san, what can you tell me about my Godson?" Tsuande asked, her interest obvious.

She proceeded to tell them all that she had seen from him during his three month stay with them for training. They covered the fact that he was a very quick learner and that he was a joy to teach since he was honestly enthusiastic about everything, then they covered the pranks he played, which reminded the three older ninja of Kushina when she was a little hellion and troublemaker, something Andy obviously remembered since his hair was still growing out again. Finally, Mai got around to explaining about little Renge and how she was _very_ attached to him. Hanzou had even given his blessing in advance.

"Aww...That is _sooo_ cute! He has a little girlfriend!" Tsnade squealed in glee, scaring her compatriots. She _never_ squealed like that. The squealing only increased when Mai showed them a picture that was taken of the pair hugging just before Naruto left the compound.

"Your niece is sooo cute!" Shizune gushed.

Jiraiya, however, was proud of the brat.

"Heh heh...That gaki works fast! Not even a full year and he's got himself a little girlfriend! He's got his father's charm! And if that kid's mom is THAT hot...He he he..." Jiraiya hooted with huge grin, but calmed down to continue.

"I know of a lot of people in Konoha that will be disappointed if those two do become an item before he returns, even more if he looks like his father. Hiashi and Inoichi won't be too pleased since they have daughters his age, but hey...It's first come, first serve." Jiraiya chucked.

"I know. They will be in for quite a shock if this plays out the way I think it will." Sarutobi added with a grin.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Andy asked, making the Sannin's eyes light up. He started doing what looked like a kabuki dance.

"My name is enough to send the most villanous running, the ladies swoon, and can hush a crying child! I am known in the West, the East, the North and South! I am the Holy Sage Myouboku Mountain! Lord Jiraiya!" The old pervert introduced himself.

"Ugh..._Must_ you do that everytime you introduce yourself?" Sarutobi groaned while the others...didn't really know what to think of this eccentric person.

"Ookay...But who are you? You say that my nephew..._**(Elbow from Mai)**_...sorry, our nephew is your godson, so what were you to our elder brother?" Andy inquired. Jiraiya's face looked a little less exhuberant.

"He was my apprentice. I taught him all that I know about being a shinobi and I...saw him as the son I never had." Jiraiya explained while Sarutobi and Hanzou continued their conversation.

"So...How are your old teammates? Is Homura still uptight about everything and Koharu nagging everyone?" Hanzou asked.

"You know...Koharu never really forgot about you. Even though she married and has a family, you were still there in her heart. She thought you died during the War." Hiruzen stated. It was no secret that Hanzou and Koharu were an item before he left.

"I know...I felt bad about doing that, but I had my own reasons. Just as she would never regret having her family, I will not regret mine. It's just...better this way." Hanzou sighed, closing the subject.

"So...Getting back on topic, where does your brother live, anyway?" Sarutobi asked Andy.

"He lives in Southtown, on the Southwestern seaboard of the United States, where all three of us were from originally. Terry's the only one who stayed there after our adoptive father died..." Andy explained to them, telling them their end of the story, all the way up to the 1995 KOF Tournament.

"So...This Geese Howard and Krauser sounded as if they were very strong individuals." Sarutobi mused.

"Not to mention that Mars incident. Yeesh...I'd hate to see what'd happen if some of the nastier ninja in our lands had gotten hold of that armor." Jiraiya shivered.

"Don't forget that Rugal person...He sounded like a real piece of work." Tsunade huffed, but changed the subject back to Naruto.

"Still...I'd like to go and visit him. That's the whole reason why we came from the Elemental Countries in the first place." Tsunade stated.

"Well...You'll have to learn English to get around over there. As for passports...I may be able to help you with a friendly contact that we made during the KOF tournements." Andy surmised. He was, of course, talking about Team Ikari. Heidern was grateful for their help in defeating Rugal and owed them a small favor. This could render the debt repaid, something Heidern would want, since he wasn't the type to let them go unpaid. He got up and called the man, getting the details and that he would have them ready in two days time.

"They have agreed to help get you as far as California, but from there you would be on your own. You will be flying on a military aircraft out of Yokota Air Force Base as a personal favor. Mai and I will get you down there and they will meet us there. Until then, I'll help you with your English." Andy told them.

_**(A/N: Yokota AFB is an authorized port of entry for American Military in Japan and since Team Ikari have multiple military connections, this is FAR from out of the question. Bear in mind that I was stationed in this very area, being posted in NAF Atsugi and Yokosuka NB in the Kanto Plains Area, Kanagawa Prefecture at one time years ago. Kyoto is not very far from Yokota, both being on the Japanese main island and the equivalent of a drive from my hometown of Lemoore in California's Central San Joaquin Valley to San Diego, 4+ hours . Just explaining my reasoning so no one gets confused.)**_

Again, more mention of all of this advanced technology sent their minds into a whirling dervish, but all four of them buckled down on their language studies. During their two day waiting period, Andy and Mai helped them learn the English language, for all the good it would do them they thought, but they hadn't counted on the Kage Bunshin giving them a killer learning curve, making them able to speak converstaional English within the time limit. Although, it was more than a little disturbing seeing multiple copies of these people around the compound.

_**TWO DAYS LATER**_

_**YOKOTA AIR BASE**_

Thankfully, the trip to Yokota was a relativley uneventful trip. The train trip was almost 4 hours long and they had to switch trains frequently to get to their final stop. As they walked up to the front gates, the shinobi could see men in what they deemed military uniform, holding weapons and keeping a sharp eye out.

"Excuse me...But are they the local military forces?" Sarutobi asked.

"Erm...Not exactly. You learn more once we go inside." Andy said as four people walked out of the base.

The first two were both tall and brawny. One had a bandana on his head and a vest and the other wore a cap and sunglasses. The lone female had a hairstyle that reminded the Konoha crowd of Anko Mitarashi. The final person was tall, taller than Jiraiya in full military uniform with an eyepatch and a beret, looking to be very strict. Andy walked up to them.

"Commander Heidern...Thank you for doing this." Andy greeted the tall man.

"Think nothing of it, Mr. Bogard, Miss Shiranui. We always repay our debts, good or ill." Heidern told them simply as they greeted the four shinobi.

"You must be the four he called in the favor for. I am Heidern and these are my subordinates, Ralf Jones, Clark Still, and my adopted daughter Leona. We will be taking you from here to the United States. Unfortunately, this aircraft is stationed out of Travis Air Force Base in California, so it therefore cannot go any further than Los Angeles. But, from there, you will easily be able to get to Florida. We also have your Passports here and ready for you, along with Identification. Should you require anything before you board the aircraft, my subordinates shall accompany you to the Base Exchange to purchase them." Heidren instructed as Sarutobi introduced himself and his group.

"Ah...Thank you, my good fellow. To my right is one of my students, Jiraiya. To my left is my other student, Tsunade Senju and her apprentice, Shizune Katou. Finally, I am Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure." The old Kage stated.

"Yes...I was informed that you were ninja, but I am curious about Miss Senju, or more over what she teaches." Heidern inquired.

"To answer that, I am a Medical Nin and I am teaching Shizune the Medical Arts...along with the normal shinobi skills." Tsunade answered simply picking up a rock from the nearby flower bed and crushed it into powder with ease.

"Wow..." Clark stated.

"She's one tough chick..." Ralf whispered to his long time friend.

"I see...A good Combat Medic is worth their weight in gold." The Commander of the Ikari sqaud mused as they continued.

"I'm afraid that I have other duties to attend to, so I must take my leave." Heidern told the group as he headed back to the Main Administration building.

The group stopped by the food court there for a small lunch, getting a crash course in American fast food thru Ralf. After grabbing some basic essentials and sealing them away in one of his scrolls, getting a surprized yelp from the Ikari Warriors.

"Whoa...That's a neat trick, old man..." Ralf said.

"It's just a basic storage seal." Jiraiya explained on their way to the airfield.

"I could carry _a lot_ of grenades with those...along with an entire arsenal." Clark added, talking more to himself. In his head, he could see himself pulling guns from seemingly out of nowhere and shocking the hell of their enemies.

"Why...Are you here?" Leona ventured to ask the older women.

"I'm here to see my Godson...Whom I've never even had the chance to meet and he's six years old already. You see, the night he was born, both of his parents died and left him alone. He was...born different from other people, even among shinobi, but he was discriminated against for it. His uncle, Terry Bogard, came and took him away to live with him. Now, that old pervert of a teammate of mine and I are here." Tsunade explained.

"Godson...Huh?" She whispered quietly. The silent young woman also wondered just what made the boy so different that he was hated as they rolled up to the airfield, where they got their guests onto the aircraft, a C-17 Globemaster III, to make the Trans-Pacific flight.

"Well...Good luck, guys!" Ralf called out as the doors closed up.

Inside the plane, the four shinobi were getting comfortable in their seats.

"What do you think this will be like?" Shizune asked as she heard the mechanical whine of the turbine engines getting up to speed.

"Naruto-chan flew on one of these, right? If he can handle it, so can we." Tsunade replied calmly as she tried to work her seat without snapping it in half.

"Do you need help with that?" A flight attendant asked, helping her position her seat into a more comfortable position.

"Ahh...Thank you." The blond Sannin sighed in comfort, the others seeing what they did and copied her.

"I really need a chair like this in my office..." Sarutobi sighed as he began to doze off, but the mechanical noise got louder and the craft they were in started to move.

"Whoa...What the hell?" Jiraiya whispered as a voice came over the speakers.

_**"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome aboard MAC flight KJ342, heading into Los Angeles, California..."**_ The voice informed them and the other passengers of their destination and how long it would take to get there, around 13 hours.

_**(MAC stands for Military Airlift Command. Think of it as the military's Airline. There used to be a MAC terminal in Los Angeles, but it closed down in 2004. This is 1995-96, so it's still operational. As for MAC itself, it no longer exists as named, becoming the Air Mobility Command.)**_

"That's a long distance..." Jiraiya muttered.

"Stop whining, Jiraiya. Just get some sleep..." Tsunade grumbled as they took off.

The Toad Sage stayed up to look at the ground disappearing beneath them and rising into the clouds before falling to sleep himself.

_**LOS ANGELES AIRPORT "LAX"**_

The four shinobi stirred awake slowly as the plane began to pitch down and bank.

"We there yet?" Jiraiya asked while yawning loudly, looking out of the window. The PA system seemed to answer his question.

_**"Ladies and Gentlemen...we are now beginning our descent into Los Angeles International Airport..."**_ The speaker informed them, Jiraiya looking down upon the massive city of Los Angeles with a certain amount of awe. Soon, the plane landed and they were instructed to exit the craft, but luckily they had no luggage to claim since Jiraiya had their things sealed away in scrolls that were in a carry bag he brought with him. After leaving the concourse, they padded over to a random restaurant to plot out their next course of action over lunch. First, was a visit to an exchange counter as per Andy's instructions to exchange their Yen for Dollars. Seeing as they all had very generous sums saved up, their expenses thus far were hardly a dent.

On the way out, however, Tsunade spotted pamphlets for other locations within the country and saw one that stood out...Las Vegas. She saw the Roulette tables, card tables, the slot machines and...

"I am _so_ sold..." Tsunade whispered with barely restrained glee, taking the free pamphlet and mentally running over it's location in her mind.

"Okay...Here is the address that Hanzou gave us and the instructions Andy wrote down..." Hiruzen said, the four of them pouring over them over some pasta while using silverware they weren't too used to.

"We could catch one of those Taxis to a train terminal and use that to get to another city...Let me see that map you grabbed, Shizune." Tsunade commented, the young woman handing it over. Shizune bought a U.S Road Map and an L.A Map in the concourse in a moment of brilliance, one that would become a useful tool later. Tsunade scanned it and found a train terminal that could take them further east.

"But...It's still another 4500 km to get there...Ouch." Jiraiya winced.

"I believe we should get going, but it's very hot here." Sarutobi commented. His suit wasn't the best thing to wear in the California's late summer heat. He scanned the concourse a little more and found a clothing shop for more...Sensible clothes. Now, the old man looked like a tourist with a floral shirt and shorts with his old sandals.

The group made it to a train station and were looking for a bus to take them, but Tsunade was looking for the location in the pamphlet. She then saw it.

"Hmm...Las Vegas, huh? Hey guys! I found a bus that'll take us closer!" Tsunade announced. They had no arguments, mainly since they didn't know just what kind of place Vegas was...Yet.

Waiting for the train was a bit of a social experiment gone awry. Tsunade's bust was garnering a lot of attention from would be Lethario's. One, however, was especially ballsy.

"Hey chica...What's up?" The greasy man greeted her, but she ignored him.

"I ain't gonna hurt 'cha little lady...How 'bout we go and...get close some where? My cousin's got an apartment around the block so...heh heh..." He drawled sleazily as he grabbed her bust.

Jiraiya was about to make this kid non-existant, but Hiruzen stopped him.

"Just watch...This will be entertaining." The old Hokage told him.

Sure enough, the beautiful Sannin had things well under control. She sighed as she controlled her strength and flicked his forehead so hard that it felt as if he were smacked by an 80 MPH fastball, knocking him ass over end. She then stepped lightly on his package to further emphasize her point.

"Listen, you little shit...I didn't give you permission to even _breathe_ in my direction. Get lost before I neuter you on the spot." She growled at him, her Ki controlled, but focused, making the once arrogant and smug Romeo foul himself on the spot as the terminal security walked up.

"Ma'am...Was this man bothering you?" They asked.

"Not anymore, are you little boy?" She replied sounding so sickly sweet that even the guards flinched as they took the man and escorted him off of the property. Over the PA, the boarding for their train had sounded so they all climbed on.

"Vegas...Mama's coming home..." Tsunade said under her breath as they got situated.

_**LAS VEGAS, NEVADA**_

After spending the night on the train _**(And Tsunade nearly killing her former teammate for "Mistakenly" crawling into her bunk...)**_ The group arrived in Las Vegas in the wee hours of the morning. They crawled out of their bunks, off the train, and into the streets. They had looked at the board for the next train to leave out of there and saw that they wouldn't be able to leave for another 2 days, giving Tsunade the break she was hoping for.

_'Eeeee! Score!' _She thought.

Tsunade pulled out the pamphlet to get a good idea on where to stay. They saw several different buildings with seemingly different themes to them, but one stood out form the rest. It had statues of two lions in front of it. _**(The MGM Grand, in case you couldn't figure it out.)**_

"This looks like as good a spot as any to shack up." She grinned as she led them into the lobby of the hotel and up to the desk.

"May I help you, Miss?" The receptionist asked politely, making the Sannin smile.

"Yes...I'd like two rooms, please." She asked.

"Okay ma'am...Joined or non-Joined?" The young woman asked.

"Non-joined." Tsunade said quickly, smirking at the sulk Jiraiya was now sporting.

"Okay...We have two rooms available right across the hall from one another on the third floor. How will you pay, ma'am?" She asked.

"With cash." Tsunade answered, taking out her pocket book and withdrawing the money she needed. The young woman took it, counted, and confirmed everything, giving them each a room key.

"Here are your keys. Please enjoy the MGM Grand and welcome to Las Vegas." The employee chirped as they moved along to their rooms, which were quite nice.

"Wow...This is better than anything I've ever stayed in before..." Jiraiya said in awe.

"Lady Tsunade...This is wonderful..." Shizune gushed as she flopped onto a bed, feeling how soft it was.

"Oh...I think we need to explore a little bit." Tsunade chimed happily, making Shizune suspicious of her motives for coming here. She grabbed a leaflet off of her nightstand and looked at it, then the mystery was solved. Gambling and booze...Las Vegas was paradise to her mistress and her vice.

"Oh great..." The young woman moaned as she confronted her mistress.

"Lady Tsunade...PLEASE don't tell me you suggested taking the land route just to visit this place?" Shizune begged, but the gleam in the blond woman's eye was unmistakeable.

"Come ON, Shizune...We're stuck here to two days, so try to live a little! Now, let's go round up sensei and the pervert and get some breakfast before gamb...I mean sight seeing!" Tsunade slipped.

"What will I do with you, Lady Tsunade?" Shizune groaned as she followed her mistress in rousting their male travel mates.

"This room certainly is very nice. It's better than my own room in my manor." Sarutobi commented as he browsed the room, but came across a flyer on his nightstand for a nightclub of the Gentleman persuasion.

"What's that, sensei?" Jiraiya asked as he peeked over his shoulder. Both of their pervert modes went into overdrive.

"Sensei...We've really stumbled into the promised land." Jiraiya stated solemnly as they pocketed their keys and left the room, only to bump into each other.

"You guys going to explore?" Tsuande asked.

"Yep." Jiraiya answered as the groups split off to explore this new city.

Tsunade went on over to the Casino to try her luck...and hopefully not bankrupt them in the process. The day passed slowly. Tsunade had seen what a lot of what seemed to be upper class women wore and immeadiately slipped into a night dress that screamed sexy but classy. Shizune, knowing that Tsuande was just going to cram her into one anyway, joined her in a dress that was a bit more on the conservative side and just as classy. She might not have been a complete stunner, but Shizune had a charm all of her own. Inbetween her trips to the card tables, Tsunade tried out drinks like Vodka, Whiskey, and Bourbon. She even had the mixed like a Black Russian, The Moscow Mule, The Three Wise Men_** (C'mon...Jim, Jack, and Johnnie!)**_ and a score of others. After she got tired of one Casino, she and Shizune went up and down the strip to the others like the Luxor, Excalibur, Circus Circus, and Caeser's Palace. Each one better than the next before she headed back to the MGM Grand.

"Ha ha! This place is like heaven for people like me! Gambling and really good booze!" Tsunade hooted with glee as she and Tsunade were in a game of Poker with some rather severe looking fellows.

"You gonna raise or what, lady?" One of them growled.

"Oh, what the hell? Betting the farm!" She cheered gleefully.

"Oh yeah? Read 'em and weep! Full House!" The man smirked. His dropped when she smirked even wider.

"Royal Straight Flush, all Spades!" She cheered again, grabbing her associate.

"Rake in my winnings! Were moving on!" Tsunade declared until a feeling of dread washed over her. These feelings usually followed her streaks of good fortune.

"Shizune...Let's cash out and get moving...I think something happened to Naruto..." She whispered as the Casino Manager came to see her about her incredible streak.

"Miss, the hotel wishes to congradulate you on your luck and we would like to accomdate you and your fellow guests in anyway that we can." He told them.

"I need to find my teammate and sensei and then we need to find a way to South Town, in Florida." She told the man, her voice obviously desperate.

"We will see what can be done, but may I ask why?" The man replied with another question, sending some of his personnel out into the strip to find her two companions.

"My Godson...Something's happened to my Godson. I can feel it. We need to go, quickly." She whispered as the man got on his radio and made confirmations for a few minutes.

"We have a small Lear Jet on pay roll at McCarran airport. You can keep you winnings and we will comp the airfare as a token of appreciation for choosing our establishment since you have already paid for your rooms." The man informed her as he went to arrange for transportation to the airport.

Jiraiya and Hiruzen browsed the nightlife of Vegas and wound up in one of the many Adult shops that were in the area, not really worried about going off of the main strip. You see, the areas away from the main strip weren't too safe, but these two were far scarier than anything the ghetto can crank out. When they went inside of the porn shop, the two nearly had a heart attack at all of the exposed flesh, videos and fine reading material for every pervert's palette and taste. Penthouse Forum seemed to call Jiraiya's name as he browsed through it.

"Holy Hell...This is quality work! This place is an inspiration overload!" Jiraiya cackled with unrestrained glee while Hiruzen was enjoying this to his pervy old heart's desire.

"I must have done something right in a past life..." The old Kage muttered as the two of them spent a good deal on their new mags and books, walking out into the streets and back onto the strip.

They were stopped by men in black suits who got out of a car.

"Were you two staying with a Miss Senju?" They asked. The pair answered cautiously.

"Yeah...What did she do?" Jiraiya answered.

"We were sent to collect you on her behalf." The two men told them, telling them what happened.

"If she got spooked, there's a damn good reason behind it. Very well. Take us to her, please." Hiruzen said in a tone that was strictly business. The two men nodded and had them enter the vehicle, driving them back to the hotel. Upon arriving, Jiraiya noticed Tsunade...More over what she was wearing.

"Whoa! That looks pretty good on you, Hime!" Jiraiya said gleefully, finally seeing his teammate in something a little...more revealing.

"Not now, you pervert! I had one of those...premonitions again. Like when Dan and Nawaki died." Tsunade told them as the manager walked up to them.

"I have arranged for a shuttle to take you to the terminal where the plane is waiting for you. Have a safe trip and I hope everything turns out alright." The manager informed them crisply as he and his men got back to their duties, the group boarding the shuttle. Once the shuttle got to McCarren Airport, the group used their shinobi speed to blaze through security without being seen and on the plane within a couple of moments.

"Let's get moving!" Tsunade urged the pilot, who nodded and got on the radio to the tower.

_**"McCarren tower...Sky West 6-1 requesting runway for immeadiate take off..."**_

_** "Sky West 6-1...Take runway 32-L for taxi..."**_

_** "Roger McCarren Tower..."**_

The pilot obeyed instructions and taxied out as instructed.

_**"Tower...Sky West 6-1 ready for take off."**_

_** "Sky West 6-1...Okay for take off. Have a safe flight."**_

"Everyone, have a seat. We're going now." The pilot told his passengers.

Take off went smoothly as the four shinobi had time to relax somewhat and take stock of the situation.

"Hime...What do you think happened to the brat?" Jiraiya inquired.

"I...I don't know...But the last time I had that feeling...Minato and Kushina died." Tsunade told them, trying to calm herself down. She was even biting her nails, something she hadn't done since she was a fresh Genin.

"I understand, Hime. Hopefully, this guy can get us there quickly and we can make sure the kid's alright." Jiraiya soothed his ex-teammate, for once not trying to be a pervert. They settled in and got themselves ready for anything. Jiraiya got out his scrolls and divved out everyone's gear into seperate scrolls, so they would all be ready at a moment's notice. The co-pilot poked his head out.

"We will be landing at South Town Airport within 4 hours." He informed them, giving them a time frame. Since they were in a smaller jet, they could use the runway at South Town as it wasn't meant for the big commercial flights.

"Good. The sooner the better." Jiraiya replied as they went over last minute plans.

_**SHIRANUI COMPOUND**_

Mai and Andy were getting ready to set down for dinner with Master Jubei, who had come to the compound for a visit with his old friend Hanzou when they got a phone call.

"Hello, Shiranui residence." Mai answered.

_**"Mai? Thank God...Is Andy there with you?"**_ The voice on the other line asked, she recognised the voice as Terry's and he sounded panicked.

"Terry? What's wrong? Is Naruto-chan okay?" Mai asked, now very worried.

_**"This is about him...Do you guys know about a ninja clan called the Kisaragi?"**_ Terry asked.

"Y-yes...What does this have to do with Naruto-chan?" Mai replied, her dread increasing. The Kisaragi were extremely deadly ninja, the rivals of the Shiranui. Maybe this ninja heard about Naruto learning under them.

_**"Some bastard named Eiji Kisaragi attacked the Sakazaki dojo while Yuri was watching Naruto. Yuri got a little hurt, but..."**_ Terry explained, but went silent.

"JUST TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!" Mai screamed.

_**"...Naruto used the power of the demon inside of him to drive Eiji off, but that bastard stuck a knife in his gut. We're at the Hospital now, but the doctors are saying that...His chances aren't looking too good."**_ Terry finished, his voice a whisper. Mai could hear Yuri in the background sobbing, Mary trying to calm her down.

"We're on our way right now. There are some people from Konoha that should be there anytime now, as well." Mai told him.

_**"Got it. I'll call Ryo and tell him to tell them to come here...Thanks, Mai."**_ Terry replied as the phone hung up.

"Andy...We're headed to South Town right now. Naruto's been hurt bad and I want to hunt down the bastard responsible." Mai stated to her fiancee, her visage one of pure, unbridled fury.

"Mai...? Are you okay?" Andy asked her cautiously.

"That bastard Eiji went too far...If the Kisaragi want a blood feud, they've got one." Mai snarled darkly as she packed quickly, Andy right behind her once his brain re-booted.

He'd NEVER seen Mai this angry before, _ever_, so he packed up quickly as well. This was _his_ nephew that had been attacked and gravely injured by Eiji. Hanzou had overheard her and contacted the head of the Kisaragi ninja, who had also heard of the incident. He had declared Eiji a nuke-nin months ago, so there was no chance of the Kisaragi protecting him.

"Mai...The Kisaragi have already disowned him to absolve any blame in this matter." Hanzou told her.

"Going out for blood isn't like you, Mai-chan." Jubei added.

"The fact that he's been declared Nuke-nin doesn't do much to make me feel better, Jii-sama, Jubei-jiisama...That bastard will _pay..._" Mai said darkly as the two of them left for the airport for a flight that was destined for South Town.

_**HOURS LATER **_

_**SOUTH TOWN**_

The charter jet landed at South Town Airport sometime in the evening, all four shinobi ready to take off the moment the plane stopped. The second the ramp opened, the four of them took off like a shot, barely visible to the naked eye and leaving behind two very confused pilots. They followed the directions to find Terry's apartment, but found another man waiting there for them with a grim expression.

"He's been taken to South Town General Hospital. I can tell you where it is." Ryo told them, giving them the information they needed.

"HE'S WHAT?" Tsunade nearly screamed as Ryo filled her in on what happened. The following wave of anger that radiated from the four of them was nearly enough to make his vomit on the spot. Thankfully, they left just as quickly as they came.

"I hope the boy pulls through. Terry's had enough heartbreak for a lifetime. This one will surely break him. Those four will likely tear this city apart to find Eiji...And rip him to pieces." Ryo sighed as he left back for the dojo.

Seemingly moments later at the hospital, the four arrived quickly and Tsunade charged up to the front desk.

"Where is Naruto Uzumaki's room?" She demanded, her mere presense itimidating.

"R-room 304 on the third floor...But they're operating in there!" The duty nurse tried to stop them, but they were already gone.

Outside of the O.R, Terry, Mary and Yuri were holding vigil outside, praying to every deity they knew of that the boy would make it.

_'Lily...Sulia... Dad...If you can hear me...Help him...He's some of the only family I've got left...'_ Terry pleaded inwardly as Mary leaned into him, Yuri leaning on her.

"Terry..I-I'm sorry that this happened..." Yuri tried to apologise for what seemed like the 100th time.

"Yuri...It wasn't your fault...I'm sorry I yelled at you." Terry replied morosely.

"Nobody could have predicted this would happen. That freak Eiji needs to be put down." Mary added. The three of them noticed that they weren't alone all of the sudden. Terry looked up and saw old Sarutobi standing there, along with three other ninja he assumed were from Konoha.

"Sarutobi...You caught us at a bad time." Terry told him in a hollow voice.

"I can see that. Sakazaki-san was kind enough to inform us of what happened today. Luckily, we were already on our way to visit Naruto-chan when Tsunade had a premonition, so we made all possible haste in getting here, thanks in large parts to your brother and the connections he asked to help us. Team Ikari, I believe they were called." Sarutobi replied.

"Sensei...I'm going in there. Shizune, come with me." Tsunade declared as she quickly made her way to the O.R. door.

"L-Lady Tsunade? What about your hemophobia?" Shizune asked.

"Now's not the time. My godchild's _life_ is in danger." Tsunade replied, her gaze hardening as she shoved the doors open and forced the doctors to assist her. She flashed through the seals for the Shousen, utilizing all of her strength to heal the wound, while noting his pulse and breathing. Slowly and to the complete shock and awe of the doctors and non-shinobi present, the boy's wound began to mend and the bleeding was slowing down while his vitals slowly improved. To them, whatever she was doing, it was working. Finally, after 10 tense minutes, Tsunade released her jutsu.

"He...He will live. I managed to repair the lacerated stomach and intestines and halted the bleeding, but he will still need to recover." Tsunade stated as if she were in the hospitals back in Konoha. The other doctors completely forgot that this woman had barged in there, instead looking at the fact that she performed what looked like a miracle and saved this boy's life.

"Oh shit...I know he needed to be healed, but we need to put a lid on this." Jiraiya muttered, Sarutobi agreeing with him.

"What do you mean?" Yuri asked.

"Watch." Sarutobi replied as he walked into the room next to Tsunade.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I know you have many questions, but I will explain everything..." The old Kage told them and got their attention. He ran through rapid handseals and the medical staff seemed to drop like puppets with their strings cut.

"What did he do?" Mary nearly yelled.

"Just a mild Genjutsu to make them forget this ever happened. They are completely unharmed, I assure you." Sarutobi assured them as Tsunade put the boy into a stasis.

"Sensei...Let's get him out of here." The blond woman said as she lifted him gently.

"Whoa...Where are we going?" Terry stopped them.

"Back to where ever is safest right now." Jiraiya answered.

"We...can go back to my family's dojo. Come on." Yuri motioned to them as they snuck their way out of the Hospital, Shizune knocking people out as necessary with senbon laced with a sleeping solution. Finally, they made their way out into the streets.

"We need to get him some medicine to stave off infection, but I don't have any ingredients to make them with." Tsunade mentioned. Terry and Yuri looked at each other and thought of someone they knew could help.

"I know a place we can go to for some medicine. He's a cranky old codger, but the medicines he makes are top notch. We'll need to head to China Town, not far from here." Yuri replied as they agreed and moved along.

_**CHINA TOWN**_

China Town...A place in South Town that sports a rich history from the first Chinese immigants that trickled over that way from San Francisco over 100 years ago. It was also a place with a very seedy underbelly that can catch the unweary off guard. However, the Triads and Yakuza in the area were generally of a Don't Bother Me, And I Won't Bother You methodlogy. One of the most notably residents of this area of South Town and one that even the Gangs went out of their way to avoid pissing off owned a small medicine shop, one Lee Pai Long. He was known to the Sakazaki family through Takuma, who he sparred with often enough.

Inside of the shop, in a back room where he did most of his research and tinkering, he was busy at work on a new medicine. He was trying to follow up on the success he enjoyed when he stumbled onto a cure for Hemorriods by making an ointment for bunions and was in a very delicate phase of development when he heard a loud and irritatingly familiar voice call out from the front of the shop.

"HEY! YOU IN HERE, YOU OLD FART?" Yuri yelled into the store.

Lee's concentraition slipped, letting just a drop too much get into the mix.

"Uh oh..." He muttered before a comical explosion went off in his face. As the smoke cleared, a dark faced Lee stomped to the front area of his store to give his intruder a piece of his mind when he saw that she was not alone, having several others there with her, one of them holding a small boy who couldn't be older than six years of age. He was about to tell them to kick rocks, but he spotted the massive amounts of blood that stained the boy's clothes.

"What is it that you want?" He asked in an even tone.

"Please...We need a poultice that we can used to hold off infection." Tsunade requested.

"Why not go to a hospital?" Lee replied like he was discussing the weather.

"Come on, old man! You _still_ owe us from that time I got kidnapped and you got in the way!" Yuri fumed.

"We'd rather avoid getting involved with the authorities. Tsunade here has already averted the worst case scenario, but we still require medicine to care for the child." Sarutobi informed.

Lee took a good look at the old Kage, studying him in detail.

_'Hmm...He doesn't appear it, but I can tell he in immensely powerful and I tried to fight him...I would likely lose very quickly. The woman is also far more than she appears, like her companions. I would ask why they need my medicine, but I have since learned to mind my own business.'_

"Fine...Let me clean up this mess and I will get to work on it." Lee sighed in defeat. He knew that they would never let him live down the embarrassment of being beaten by Ryo Sakazaki. As sson as he got to work on a medication, another one of China Town's inhabitants made her presense known in the form of a 14 year old girl.

"Wow...You guys actually motivated that stubborn old goat? Color me impressed!" She commented. Yuri knew who she was, having eaten in her parent's restaurant many times before.

"Xiangfei? Why are you here? Won't your folks get at mad at you for skipping out on the restaurant again?" Yuri asked.

"Nah! As long as I'm not gone for long, pops won't find out!" The girl chirped as she got a good look at the others.

Whoa...Terry Bogard? Cool! I always wanted to meet the famous Lone Wolf! But...Who's the kid and these other guys?" The perky Chinese girl inquired.

"That's a story for another time, okay? Naruto-chan here got hurt by that psycho Eiji, so we need the old fart's medicines to help him." Yuri explained as Xiangfei got a closer look at Tsunade, who seemed to interest her.

"W-what?" The Sannin asked.

"Geez lady...You've got a really nice rack! I wonder if mine'll get that big?" The girl wondered aloud, causing Jiraiya to snicker.

"Yeah...but you know what? Until she was 17, she had all the curves of a chopstick! Crazy, huh?" The pervy Sannin hooted until her fist sent him crashing into the pavement, creating a pretty good impression in the asphalt.

"Ow..." Was all Jiraiya muttered as he dusted himself off.

"That was kinda cool! Do it again!" Xiangfei cheered.

"Xiangfei...You really should get back before your folks catch you." Yuri warned, but the girl scoffed.

"Nah...Those two slowpokes can _never_ catch me!" The girl gloated until a hand fell on her shoulder.

"Is that so?" A voice questioned. She turned around slowly to find not only her father there, but also her mother, both scowling heavily.

"H-Hey...What's up?" She chuckled weakly as her mother grabbed her ear.

"Come on...Let's get back to work. You have dish duty for a week for this." Her mother scolded.

"Ow! C'mon! Leggo, that hurts!" The girl whined as she was dragged away.

"That was...wierd." Shizune stated as the old man came back out with a small pouch.

"Here. Mix a pinch of this with some water and wash the wound twice a day until the wound heals completely." Lee Pai Long said gruffly as he trudged back into his shop to continue his research.

"Wow...He's a real ray of sunshine." Tsunade harumphed as she turned to Terry.

"So. Where can we go now?" She asked.

"We have some spare rooms at the dojo to rent out if you want." Yuri offered as they got moving in the direction of the dojo.

_**SAKAZAKI DOJO**_

The group had finally made it to the dojo just before midnight, Ryo and Takuma greeting them.

"Is the boy alright?" Takuma asked his youngest.

"Yeah. He'll be fine thanks to Tsunade-san, but we need to let him rest for a little while.

"I see...Who are these people then?" The Sakazaki patriarche inquired. Sarutobi stepped forward to do just that.

"Ahem...Thank you in advance for your hospitaility. We have my two students, Jiraiya and Tsunade Senju, and Tsunade's student, Shizune Katou. Finally, I am Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure, the village Naruto hails from originally. We came here to visit with him and introduce him to his Godparents, who we finally managed to track down." Sarutobi said.

The Sakazaki's, Terry and Mary understood what this meant, but Terry knew that his claim on the boy still held, since he was a direct blood relation and he took precedence. If they wanted to take him back there, they'd have a fight on their hands, one that Terry would fight tooth and nail.

"You're not going to try and drag him back, reneging on our deal, will you?" Terry inquired, his body taut and ready to fight should he have to.

This action wasn't lost on the shinobi, Mary, or the Sakazaki's. Mary, Yuri, and Ryo all followed Terry with Takuma holding back and studying the situation a little more. Sarutobi knew that they were expecting a fight and sought to dispel any hostility.

"I can assure you that we have not come to take him away. Tsunade and Jiraiya have merely come to finally meet him in person." Sarutobi assured.

"Then why weren't they there for him in the first place? Where have they been?" Terry almost demanded.

"We...Don't have any excuses for what happened, but the primary reason was a big mix up. I thought he was with the pervert here and he thought the brat was with me. We didn't find out until sensei called us back to deal with a situation that had arisen in the village that he needed us for. " Tsunade explained to them.

"Good. That creepy Danzou guy was bad news." Terry stated as he yawned.

"We should really get some sleep. I'm bushed." Terry stated as he stretched out.

"Oh...Dad...They don't have a place to stay right now, so can we put them up in a couple of our unused rooms for a small fee?" Yuri, ever the entrepnuer, suggested. Takuma weighed the option for all of three seconds before agreeing.

"I'll show you to the rooms." The eldest Sakakzaki motioned, becominf the quite the hospitable host all of the sudden. The shinobi shrugged as they trudged inside, eager to put an end on this very, VERY long day.

_A/N: Yawn...Another chapter down. It's like the fall of Rome around Fanfiction lately, with the sudden crackdowns and many author and stories disappearing. I really wish that the site wouldn't take such a heavy handed approach to this and simply up the ante with their ratings, or parents simply grow a spine and put parental blockers on their kid's accounts. No reason why the rest of us should suffer this indignity for the crimes of a few._

_ Anyway...We now have more shinobi outside of the Elemental Nations, but worry not. They will be the ONLY Narutoverse characters out and about and even then, they will have to leave within a couple of months. Their trek across the States was intended to be longer, but then it would take too much away from the story. If you guys want, I'll make that happen with a seperate Omake, telling their chronicle adventurea and misadventures in the United States on their way to Florida. PM me with ideas if you like._


End file.
